


ad astra per aspera

by ariatl



Series: my only reason [4]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Adoption, Adventure, Alternate Canon, Drack being a literal dad to Ryder, Everyone's one big happy family and nobody can tell me otherwise, F/M, Falling In Love, Getting to Know Each Other, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Pregnancy, Side Liam Kosta/Male Ryder | Scott, Side Reyes Vidal/Female Ryder | Sara, Slow Build, ryder has depression and anxiety, side drack/lexi, sometimes a family is a ryder with their entire crew a krogan dad and a smooth criminal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2018-10-31 12:06:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 203,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10899024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariatl/pseuds/ariatl
Summary: to the stars, through difficultiesKylie never wanted to be the Pathfinder - She didn't even want tocometo Andromeda, let alone with her father. Now to find out that Alec's dead and she's inherited his role as Pathfinder? She has a sinking feeling that she won't be around much longer.With the help of her ragtag crew of misfits, she has to work through her crippling depression and anxiety to be the Pathfinder that Andromeda desperately needs.





	1. watercolour

"We need emergency evacuation _now_!" Alec all but yelled into his comms, desperately limping towards the figure of his daughter crumpled into a pile on the ground ahead, unmoving. He hissed in pain as his hand pressed against his leg and he kneeled down in front of her, her hands framing her small face, his eyes wide. _No._  
  
Tears streamed down her face, frantic, empty, and ugly gasping tearing out of her as her hands frantically searched her broken helmet's visor, feeling the empty space where the glass used to be. The air burned her lungs -  _Air. Air - I can't... Breathe - Breathe, please breathe - No, no air - There's no - No air. Burning, burning -_ Her whole body felt as if it was simultaneously numb and on fire, her limbs trembling uncontrollably and her chest heaving. _This is what it's like to die. I'm going to die here._  
  
_"We're three, four minutes out, sir!"_ Cora's voice hummed in through their comms' static, earning a harsh curse from the man. Realization punched her in the chest, her icy blue eyes snapping wide open.  _I'm going to die._  
  
"We don't have that long," his voice trembled. He lifted his wrist and hesitated, trembling fingers tapping into his omnitool. His eyes fell shut for a moment, the heaviest sigh leaving him as his shoulders relaxed in defeat. "Sam," Alec took in as much air as he possibly could as he pulled her broken helmet off, tossing it off to the side. His hands hovered over the sides of his helmet, his heart stopping. "Commence transfer." He lifted his helmet off.  _What?_  
  
Her hands desperately pushed against his as he attempted to lower his helmet down onto her head, her head violently shaking and her lip quivering. "W-What are..." A gasp. "What are you..." She could barely manage to speak, flittering in and out on the brink of consciousness. "Y-You can't..." Eyes fluttered open and close, tears blurring her vision. He pushed the helmet down onto her head, holding it in place against her fumbling hands.

"No!" A harsh gasp escaped her as her lungs took in the air. She tried to scream, only for a horrid and wretched noise to rip from her aching throat and bile to bite at the back. _"No!"_ Her head shook violently, tears blurring her vision as the sight of him blurred. "Alec!" He stilled her. _"Dad!"_  
  
"It's alright." Heaves started to wreck his body as his forehead pressed to hers, hands trembling as he held the helmet in place on her head. Her gloves frantically dug at his, gripping his fingers and trying to yank them off, only for his grip to tighten and his head to shake. "Kylie," his voice came in harsh bursts, barely able to form coherent words. "Deep breaths, okay? Deep breaths, Kylie. You're okay - You'll be okay."  
  
_"Commencing transfer."_

* * *

A haze bit at the back of her mind, a voice swimming through her aching head as events flashed by, one after the other. Frantic yelling, arguing, screaming. A push, a pull, a sharp poke and a soft bump.  _"We're losing her!"_ A shock, a gasp, a rush  -

Her body shot straight up with a wretched gasp. A deep ache settled in her bones and her whole being immediately recoiled in pain at the incessitant blue glow, her hands pressing hard against her head. " _Fuck_ ," She breathed in deeply, glancing around the room. It felt familiar, looked familiar, but a pulse danced through her brain and made it hard to think - She winced as her shoulders relaxed, uneven, shaky breaths leaving her.  
  
_"You are awake."_  
  
His monotonous voice made her jump. Her brain recoiled. "I..." She looked up at the ceiling, her brows furrowing. "Yeah, I guess I am. I feel like absolute hell, though..." Nausea and dread numbed her legs and twisted her stomach as her mind attempted to recollect just what happened. Her icy blue eyes roamed the room for a few more seconds, her voice slowly rising in worry. "Where am I?"  
  
_"You are in Sam Node on the Hyperion, Kylie."_ A rush of relief ran up her spine. Sam Node. Yes. "Yeah, I see."   
  
A long silence fell between the two, her lips pressing together as she swallowed down a bubble forming in her throat. Kylie leaned forward on the cot, umber hands resting on her knees as she stared down at her feet. Any attempt to recollect exactly what happened evaded her and only made her feel _worse_ , her limbs aching as her gaze trailed to her hands.  
  
_"You were clinically dead for twenty-three seconds."_  
  
"Shit, you're awake!" Liam gasped as he sharply sat up from his spot on the floor. "You're awake!" A breathless laugh escaped him as he threw himself at her and pulled her into a soul-crushing hug. "Oh, my God - Holy shit, guys, she's awake!" His voice trembled into his comm as he pulled away from her, his hands trailing over her twin braids and down her arms as he stared at her. He completely and utterly relaxed into her touch, his brows furrowing as he shook his head. "I thought you were _dead,_ Lala. Dead."  
  
Her lip trembled, tear biting at the corner of her eyes as she sniffled. "Lola... I was dead. I guess." His chocolate eyes shot wide open and she pulled him back down into a hug, desperately ignoring the tug at her heart. "I don't know." Her arms squeezed tighter around him, chin tucked into his shoulder as he hugged her. She sighed. Familiar. He was familiar and she needed familiar right now, her being all but ready to drop dead. She felt so _shitty -_ Her whole body just felt  _shitty_.   
  
"Were you talking to someone?" He softly asked as he pulled away, hands lingering on her shoulders as he took in her appearance, taking in the freckles dotting her face and the scar settled across her nose. He almost lost her. Never again.  
  
"Uh... Yeah, Sam."  
  
"What? I didn't hear him."  
  
Her blood froze cold. Why didn't Liam hear him? Isn't he connected to everyone? Something's wrong. _Very_ wrong. "That's... That's really weird." She bit her bottom lip, her brows furrowing as she searched his eyes. "I - I thought..."  
  
"Thank God, you're still alive." The words came out of Cora in a rush as she and Lexi ran into the room, both heavily panting as if they'd just ran from halfway across the Hyperion. Maybe they did. _I guess I've been out for awhile._  "You've been out for three days, Ryder." _Wow._  "We were just about to give up hope on you waking up."  
  
"Not given up hope," Lexi shot the blonde a pointed look as she walked right up to the girl, pressing a gentle yet cold hand against her cheek as she shone a light into one eye, ignoring her sudden wince, then the other. "We were just," she hummed in thought as she tilted Kylie's head back, pressing her hands along the underside of her jaw. "Just worried about you. _Really_ worried."  
  
_"Dr. T'Perro, as I have told you before, an attempt to establish a direct connection to someone while they are awake would be direly traumatic to their nervous system."_  
  
"Sam," she shot an irritated glare at his hologram in front of them, "your saying that wasn't helpful at the time. Given how long she was out and the fact her heart _stopped_ once, we had enough reason to worry about her." A soft sigh left her, her eyes skimming over the girl as she mulled over her words. "We couldn't afford to lose someone like her."  
  
Kylie stared at her feet for a few long moments, an uncomfortable cold settling deep inside of her. Her icy eyes were unfocused, her mind willing herself out of there before she tilted her head to the side and her eyes skimmed along the floor and over to the table where her father's scratched-up helmet sat. Dread settled into her stomach, hard and cold, tingling up her spine as she remembered - "Where's Alec?"  
  
Cold gripped the air as an uncomfortable silence fell in the room. Cora sheepishly glanced back at Liam, his eyes trailing away before he rubbed at the back of his neck and slightly turned away. Lexi let out a soft sigh, her hand gripping her elbow as she looked down at the floor.  
  
Her icy blue eyes slowly glanced from one to the other, her brows slowly furrowing the longer the silence dragged out before her heart dropped and her voice broke. "What happened?"  
  
"You..." An incredulous scoff came from the brunette. "You don't remember, Lala?" He swallowed thickly, his hand reaching up into his hair and tugging at his coiled strands. "Uh, shit." Another tug, anxiety bubbling up his throat. "Well - Fuck, okay. You and your dad were shot off the platform he interfaced with back on Habitat Seven. Your helmet was smashed and you were choking out, so he gave you his."  
  
Kylie slowly furrowed her brows and turned her head to look at the helmet as he spoke. Her rich, umber hand hesitantly reached up and ghosted across her lips, her mind starting to remember the way air was punched from her lungs, useless gasping, unable to breathe - "He's..." Words left her. "So he's... Dead?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Fuck." Her head fell into her hands, a rugged sigh leaving her in one rush. "Fuck. Alec, why'd you do that? Stupid," Her words were muffled by her hands, her head shaking as her hands trailed to hold behind her head. A sharp sigh left her. "So fucking stupid! What the fuck?! Goddamn."  
  
"And," Cora hesitated to speak. Her hands tensed on her head. "He... He transferred Pathfinder authority to you, Ryder." A slight tremble hesitated behind her words, hands folding behind her back to keep herself grounded. "You're the Pathfinder now."  
  
Kylie's body froze solid, stiff and harsh, icy eyes widening in shock before sharply narrowing, her hands harshly gripping her dark, curly hair. "Haa, funny." A curt laugh escaped her, bitter and venom laced through her tone as her nostrils flared and her hands fell from her head. "Next you're gonna tell me James is still in that stupid fucking coma and we're stuck in some weird ass purgatory shit against my-fucking-self."  
  
"Not exactly, but you're kind of on the mark there," Lexi slowly started, gently resting her hand on Kylie's shoulder as her voice grew soft. "Along with Pathfinder authority being transferred to you, Sam is now a part of you in a way that we aren't fully able to understand." A pause, her shoulders tensing. "If we tried to untangle him from you, it would kill you."  
  
Her body felt... Numb. Dumb. Something, anything, everything, but especially _numb_. It felt like she was floating above her body, watching the events unfold beneath her as her heart stopped, sank. Her voice felt heavy and foreign against her throat, the vibration making her head ache. "Do it."  
  
_"What?"_ Lexi's gasp almost hurt.  
  
"Untangle Sam from my mind." She looked up at the asari, her eyes wide and her lip trembling. "Kill me."  
  
"Ryder, no!" Her hand fell from her shoulder and she stepped back. "That's out of the question, I -"  
  
"Kill me!" Frantic words rose into a near scream in her face as her body shot straight up, a single, rigid step taken towards the asari. Hot tears started to roll down her cheeks, breathless gasping hitting her and her breathing uneven and harsh. "Kill!" Her fingers curled so tightly into fists her nails dug painfully into her skin, raising then lowering. "Me!"  
  
Liam yanked her back against him, his hands gently grabbing hers and softly squeezing to get them to relax. "Lala," her body hesitated and he gently shook her hands out, getting the digits to slowly relax as he lowered her arms to her sides. "Hey, it's okay." His arms wrapped around hers, holding her still and keeping her from moving. "Relax, Lala. You're good. Breathe. I'm here."  
  
_"She is having a panic attack."_  
  
"Please," broken whimpers escaped her as she struggled against his grip and her legs started to give out. "Kill me," her words so soft they were barely audible. "Kill me. Please, please -" Her body slowly melted down into a clump on the floor as her arms lamely crossed her chest, unsteady whimpers escaping her throat. He laid his arms over hers, allowing her to drag him down behind her, and curled his legs around hers. _"Please."_  
  
"We'll be arriving at the Nexus in three hours." Cora's heart felt all too heavy as she watched her break. She sighed, her eyes hesitantly glancing from Liam's worried eyes to her unsteady ones. "Better get your head in the game, Ryder. Andromeda needs a Pathfinder."


	2. hard times

Numb was an under statement of how she felt. She felt like a husk with an empty void commanding it, her feet barely receiving signals from her brain to move, _left, right, left, right,_ mouth opening but no words leaving it more than once. Events blurred together as she made her way through the Nexus, her brain barely registering people and faces and tasks and duties and _bullshit_ she couldn't bring herself to care about. One stood out in particular, though. _Fuck Tann._  
  
"Hey." A soft voice broke her from her near trance as she entered the tram, her breath catching in her throat. "They grilled you pretty hard back there. Mental check?"  
  
Kylie's brows furrowed. _Cora. Right. Fuck. I'm so tired._ "Yep." She sighed, pressing her hand over the holo for the docking bay. "I'm fine." Her voice felt so cold, so... Not right. She didn't feel like herself anymore.  
  
"Liam's been worried sick about you, you know." The blond pressed on, cautiously approaching her as Kylie hunched over the tram commands, the tram doors hissing shut as she buried her face in her hands. "I am, too. You broke pretty hard back there."  
  
"I'm fine, Cora." _I'm so over this. I'm so tired. Please leave me alone._  The whurr from the tram speeding to life made her eyes flutter, sleep biting behind her eyes. "I don't need you or Liam to play therapist with me, trust me. I've got this weird-ass AI my stupid-ass dad made _in my head_ doing it for me." Her words came out harsher than she intended. She sounded so bitter. She sighed. Again. "Sorry."  
  
"You're good. I get it. You're going through a lot right now." Silence fell into the air, too long and too much for far too long, the only sound breaking it was the sound of Kylie sighing, again. _I do that too much. But it fills the awkward silences. I won't be like Alec._ "I worked everything out with Tann about our ship so you didn't have to deal with his ass again. Atleast for awhile."  
  
"Nice," a smile, an actual smile briefly flickered over her face. "Thank God. I think if I see him again without a break to chill out, I'll claw his beady eyes out."  
  
Cora laughed. "I don't blame you, trust me. I was ready to myself for a hot minute there."  
  
The tram's doors hissed open. "I guess we should go see what he's got in store for us."  
  
"I hear it's pretty sweet." Cora smiled. "Maybe it'll make you smile for once. I know how much you love big, badass ships."  
  
"Yeah, let's hope so."

* * *

  
"Vaults." Her words came out harsh, her clad in her Initiative bathrobe as she stood in the center of her quarters, hair dripping wet. She was hyper-focused watching Eos float aimlessly through her window, her arms hanging lamely by her sides, her voice growing softer. "Remnant. Consoles. That stupid ass sudoku shit. Weird ass annihilating fields."  
  
_"I believe the proper term for that is, 'purification fields'."_  
  
"Weird ass annihilating fields." If an AI could sigh, Kylie could have sworn she felt him do just that in her head. She tilted her head towards Sam's little hologram spot on her desk, pointing a finger. "Don't you dare make killer things sound professional, Sam."  
  
_"Would you prefer that I refer to it as 'weird ass annihilating fields'?"_  
  
She paused. A hand came up to grasp at her wet hair, shaking her fingers from the water they caught, then she padded over to her dresser for a towel. "Yes, actually. That'd be pretty bomb."  
  
_"Very well, Pathfinder."_  
  
Her body froze in place halfway to the dresser, her shoulders stiff. " _Fuck_. Can you call me something other than that, Sam?"  
  
_"Would you prefer Ryder?"_  
  
A long pause fell between them. She swallowed thickly, reaching for a hair brush to tug at her hair, the knots hitting her in a hard way, her throat feeling full. "No."  
  
_"Kylie."_  
  
"...Yes." She managed after a minute, her voice heavy and tears biting at her eyes. Her heart _hurt_. "Can... Can I talk to you?" Her voice was so soft, so gentle.  
  
_"I can call for Dr. T'Perro if you would prefer an actual person to speak with, Kylie."_  
  
"No!" Her hands grabbed the edge of her dresser hard. _Shit_. "Hell no. She'll try to psychoanalyze me, especially after that stupid ass vault." She fumbled with her hair for a moment, turning to gaze at herself in her mirror for a second. "I just..." A soft sigh. "Forget it, Sam."  
  
_"Or would you prefer for me to call Mr. Kosta? He is your closest friend."_  
  
"Nah, Sam... Forget it, please." She swallowed thickly, tears starting to blur her eyes. "I don't wanna worry him any more than I have been." Her trembling hands started to work on her hair, twisting and pulling sections one under the other, braiding them reluctantly.  
  
_"You are his best friend. While I do not possess the capability to feel human emotions, I understand where his concern is coming from, Kylie."_  
  
"I know, and it sucks." Wrapping a band around the edge of one braid, she continued to the other. "I worry everyone. I worry myself. I'm..." Her breath hitched. "I..." Words left her, her mind running over the many horrible words to call herself, her eyes flickering to the scarred over cuts across her wrist from the corner of her eyes.  
  
_"I am listening, Kylie."_  
  
Her eyes dropped from her wrist immediately at his monotonous voice and her hands lamely fell as she finished the last braid, slowly bringing herself to stare at her sad-eyed self in the mirror, the softest whimper catching in her throat. "I'm pathetic."  
  
_"You are not pathetic, Kylie. You have successfully started the first outpost in Andromeda on an otherwise unhabitable planet that you have now made habitable by the means of something only you can achieve. That is far from what my records indicate 'pathetic' means."_  
  
Silence fell in the air, the soft sound of her sniffling and rubbing at her face ghosting through the background.  
  
_"I am proud of you, Kylie."_


	3. whatever it takes

"Fuck. Shit. _Damn_. **_Holy fuck_**. Get us out of here, Kallo!" Hands gripped the railing to the galaxy map hard, her breath caught in her chest as the ship swerved and raced through the Scourge. Liam cursed loudly behind her, tight-knuckling the railing inches from her hands. _"Now!"_  
  
"I'm _trying_! You try navigating this mess at this speed with enemy ships chasing us!" Kallo quipped from his spot, leaning so far forward in his seat his ass nearly slid off from the ship veering to the side.  
  
A hiss escaped her as the side railing of one of the Tempest's wings clipped the space disaster as they entered warp speed, the ship's intralight system flashing red, an alarm booming through the ship. _Warning._ _"We gotta land somewhere **now** if you want a ship left to command, Ryder!"_ Gil's voice boomed through the ship's comm systems.  
  
"We're almost -" Her voice dropped at the sight of the planet coming into view, the Scourge a beautiful disaster behind them. Her hand reached up, a finger lightly ghosting across the planet's view through the window. "Is this... Aya?" She gasped. "It's..."  
  
"Goddamn beautiful!" Liam exclaimed behind her, shoving his way beside her, the biggest grin on his stubbly face. "Hey, Lala, lookit." He took her finger and placed it over the half of the planet covered in molten storms and dark clouds, her breath leaving her in one swift rush of air.  
  
"Wow. Yeah." She smiled. _Unbelievable. An actual golden world. Maybe things are finally starting to look up for once._ Her eyes flickered to the man beside her, only to be greeted to the sight of him looking way too smug and happy at the same time. Her arms crossed defensively across her chest. "What?"  
  
"Second time you've smiled a _true_ smile since Habitat Seven. We're making _progress_."    
  
"Oh, shut it, Lo-" Her voice was interrupted by Kallo's high-pitched gasp, the two looking over at him. "What? What's going on?"  
  
"We... We're being summoned."  
  
Her hand shot out to stop Liam as he attempted to shove past her at the salarian's words, shooting the brunette a dirty glare. "Patch 'em through," she said to Kallo then tiptoed to whisper into the man's ear, "chill, Lola. I can handle it." His hand hesitated at her back before he pressed his lips together and nodded.  
  
A voice came in through the comm, an angry foreign language being belted way too fast at her, chilling her to the bone as she attempted to process what it was saying. Whatever language this is, it's definitely a super intimidating language. _Shit._  
  
"I..." It felt pointless to try to argue with them in a language they probably don't understand nor have translators for, but she had to try. She leaned forward against the railing, hands clasping together, taking a steadying deep breath. "Listen, we come in peace! We need to make an emergency landing on your planet to make repairs on our ship!"  
  
Voices overlapped and continued through the comm until it suddenly grew eerily silent. The original speaker, what sounded like a female, chirped in with an apparent a string of positive words in response - If you could call them that.

  
"Uh, I guess land then, Kallo. They sounded... Okay with it? I don't even know."  
  
"...Alright then."  
  
Her heart stuttered as they landed, watching as armed and armored aliens, for lack of a better word, surrounded the Tempest, with guns raised and pointed right at the landing ramp as it slowly descended. A cold shudder made it's way up her spine and she felt sick.  
  
"Guess I... I better go make first contact. _Wow_. Shit." It didn't seem real. Maybe this is her shot for a redo of what happened on Habitat Seven. _Knock on wood._  
  
"Hold up," Vetra started, mandibles shifting in a mix of confusion and disbelief as the tall woman stepped in front of Kylie, hands held out to keep her from leaving just yet. "You're _seriously_ not going out there by yourself, are you?"  
  
"Vetra," Kylie smirked up at her, lopsided and cocky, hands on her hips. "If you came out all spike-y and shit like your usual self, they might take it as a threat. _I'm_  soft and squishy. And very not intimidating."  
  
"Ha! Yeah, she is." Drack hummed in agreement, arms crossing over his chest as he nodded at the girl. "Go get 'em, kid. You die in a hilarious way, I'll record it for your logs at the Nexus so everyone can get a kick out of it in your memory."  
  
"Aw, thanks, Gramps. Really know how to get the heart fluttering sometimes." His booming, haughty laugh made her eyes crinkle in joy, her nose scrunching up all cute.  
  
"Lala." Liam's voice sounded so serious it made her pause. When she turned to look at him, his face made her heart ache. He looked so _worried. Fuck_. "For real, be careful. Can't lose all the Ryders, y'know?" He wearily smiled as she pulled him down to give him a tight hug, his voice hesitating. "It'll be bad for the family name."  
  
"Yeah, no doubt, 'specially if we're all dead and unable to carry it on. Kinda puts a damper on the mood." Her eyes locked with his deep ones for a moment, a soft sight escaping her. "I'll be okay, Lola." She turned on her heel, his hand slowly sliding off of her back as she walked away from him. "Don't mourn me if I die, 'kay? Dance on my corpse. You'll be rid of one more piece of shit."

* * *

  
Her eyes didn't know where to look first as she descended the ramp, her hands held up high as a sign that she was unarmed. Aya is... Breathtakingly beautiful. When an alien ran up at her and started scanning at her, she shot him a wary smile. "Should I take off my shoes?" All she got in response was a strange glare through his helmet then what sounded like a scoff. "I'll take that as a firm no, then."  
  
A group of them swarmed around her, pressing their rifles against her back and pushing her along to a set of stairs with more of their kind at the top, coming to a skidding halt at the bottom of the staircase. Their skin is so... Pretty, really, all different kinds of blues, purples, pinks, markings and freckles darting and dotting their skin, reminding her of abstract art. _Kinda looks like a weird combo of a squid and a cat. Squidcat. Don't laugh at your new neighbors, Kylie._  
  
A deep blue woman stepped forward, her hands clasped in front of her as she took a step down, allowing herself to be more along Kylie's level. "I am Paaran Shie." Her voice was melodious and smooth, oddly comforting. "I am the governor of Aya." Her hand swept across the crowd of people around her. "We are the angara."  
  
Her hands fell to her side, her throat feeling as if it were closing, her heart mercilessly hammering in her chest, feeling as if it were about to explode. "Hello," her words felt lame, scripted, but at the very least, not stuttering for once. "I am Kylie Ryder, a pathfinder with the Initiative."  
  
The angaran woman smiled down at her. "Yes, you crossed darkspace. I have heard of your journey." Her voice came to an abrupt halt as she turned her head at the sudden shuffling of noise, her brows furrowing and an almost irritated sigh coming from her. "Jaal, I have this in hand."  
  
Kylie's breath hitched as what she assumed to be Jaal came into view, pushing his way past the small cluster of people on the staircase. He was... Beautiful. For an alien. _Shit. I seriously think these aliens are beautiful already? Is that possible?_ His hand came up and dismissively waved at Paaran Shie. "Evfra saw the ship come in," her heart definitely stopped beating when she heard his voice, deep and smooth and _wonderful_ , "and sent me to find out what's going on."  
  
Paaran Shie sighed. "She is a human from another galaxy. A pathfinder, Jaal."  
  
He approached her carefully, slowly, taking his time down each step as he glared directly into her icy blue eyes, her breath caught in her throat as she took in his galaxy-like eyes. _Fuuuck._ He easily towered over her by a full foot and a half, making it effortlessly easy for him to lean over her and look utterly intimidating, his face dangerously close to hers. Her face _burned_. "Aya is hidden, protected." He hummed in thought, leaning even closer, their noses nearly touching. She could feel his warm breath. _I'm fucking dead._ "What do you want?"  
  
Her heart had fully stopped at this point and she was fully expecting Sam to start buzzing in her ear about resuscitating and all that shit, her voice momentarily leaving her. She swallowed hard. "I apologize," her voice came out way too smooth to sound right. "We did not intend to land on Aya how we did." Her hands lamely gestured, more so her trying to get herself to _calm the fuck down._ "We had an incident with our ship's wing catching against the Scourge as we warped, damaging it." A pause. "We didn't mean to land here. On fire. Honestly." _Shit. Smooth._  
  
Jaal hummed, a slow smirk spreading across his face, eyes boring into hers. "Good. Because if that was your plan," a slow smirk, "it would have been a terrible one." He pulled back just enough to take in her face, his eyes openly wandering from her nose to her lips, eyebrows, ears, chin. He grinned, turning away from her and starting to leave. "I will inform Evfra. He will be waiting for you at the Resistance Headquarters." He glanced over his shoulder at her, smooth and cocky. "I'll meet you there."  
  
Kylie was fully surprised her knees hadn't melted and her body hadn't dug itself a nice, deep hole into the ground by now. _Holy shit, he's hot. I'm dead. Damn. Rest in peace, Kylie. Had a good run._ _Definitely wouldn't mind dying by his hands. Ooh, girl._ Paaran Shie rolled her eyes as Jaal left, turning back to face the woman. "I will accompany you through our city. Your crew will stay on your ship. Follow me."  
  
A rifle pushed against her back. "Don't have to tell me twice."

* * *

  
As she entered the Resistance Headquarters, she felt entirely breathless at the beauty of this entire place. If Earth had looked like this back home, she would've stomped Omega into the ground and left way sooner. Her eyes darted from one side of the room to the other, stopping as an angaran man swooped around her, eyes glaring right into hers. Her brows furrowed at him as he leaned in towards her and just _stared_ , making her knees feel like they're going to give out. _Oookay, hello intimidating squidboy._  
  
Her tongue bit back the stupid comment as she continued walking, desperately trying to ignore the angaran burning a hole in the back of her head with his eyes. Jaal stood not too far ahead of her, a large shot gun in his hands. She froze. "You're not going to use that on me, are you?"  
  
He paused, looking from his gun to her before bursting into laughter, deep and lovely. _Shit._ "Oh, no. Atleast," He smirked, leaning over her with a dangerous look dancing in his eyes, _holy shit,_ "Not yet."  
  
"Oh, good. Nice."  
  
He nodded his head towards the door behind him and they began to walk together. "Our experience with the kett makes us naturally distrustful of all aliens." He watched her out of the corner of his eyes, narrowing ever so slightly as he spoke.   
  
"Oh, yeah," she huffed, "No doubt. We've had our fair share of run-ins with the kett." Her head turned to him, giving him a small, hesitant smile, her icy eyes darting from his eyes to his lips. _He's so pretty._  "I can't stand them. Makes me sick whenever I look at them."  
  
His steps came to an abrupt stop at her words, shoulders stiffening for a moment, brows furrowing. "Then..." He paused, leaning his gun against his shoulder as he turned to face her, "You really do understand." His eyes widened for a moment as he took a step towards her before they narrowed, his words growing heated and full of emotion as anger danced within his eyes. "When the Archon came to Heleus, he _demolished_ our sovereign state - took what he wanted, as if we were nothing."  
  
Jaal's breath hitched at the way her eyes widened, her lips falling open. "Now," he sighed, long and hard, voice nearly breaking from emotion, "the kett mercilessly abduct angara. Often, we never see our people again." _He looks so sad. I can't believe this. What the fuck._  
  
"I'm _so_ sorry," Her voice was soft, gentle, her hand hanging in the air as she moved to reach out to touch him before she faltered, realizing he'd probably push it away, before letting it fall. "That's... Horrible."  
  
He nodded his head, turning away and biting his bottom lip, eyes squeezing shut. His voice came out heavy. "Yes. Come, Evfra's waiting."

* * *

  
"Kadara be damned, I _won't_ lose Voeld." His voice was laced with anger, venom biting at the edges as he paced angrily in front of a communication terminal, his hands viciously moving through the air.  
  
"Evfra," Jaal began as the two approached the seething man, easily falling along beside him and turning to face Kylie. "This is one of the aliens from the _Milky Way,_ " He drawled out the last word, as if tasting it on his tongue. _Shit, shit, shit, don't laugh at how he said that, Kylie. I'm so weak._ "A pathfinder."  
  
Both of their eyes fell upon her and she felt one of her knees nearly buckle under their heavy gaze. _Keep up straight, girl, you got it._ "Pathfinder," Evfra's voice drew out, eyes narrowing suspiciously at her, a finger gripping his chin as he mulled over the word. "It's an aggressive move, coming to Aya." He nonchalantly said after a moment, lowering his hand.  
  
"Shit," she mentally scolded herself for cursing, "Listen - It wasn't meant in that way." She swallowed hard, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment to steel herself before taking a hesitant step towards them. "I have an ark full of desperate, starving people counting on me to find them a home before they starve to death."  
  
His demeanor shifted almost immediately from angry and suspicious to worried and, she might've been hallucinating at this point, though, almost a hint of kindness. "Of course," Evfra's voice grew suddenly soft, "I feel for you and your people." And just like that, it was gone. "So, _Pathfinder_ ," she could almost feel the air quotes in his words, "never mind how you even found us - Why are you here?"  
  
"On a planet we call Eos, I explored an ancient structure, a vault, and brought it back online." Her eyes sparkled, mirth on her face, her mind replaying the way the air cleared on Eos, right after they stepped outside the vault. "It stabilized the planet," her voice rang in through disbelief, nearly breathless, "and we were able to place an outpost on it."  
  
"Remnant." Jaal's voice made her look at him, his fingers running up and down the gun, his eyes lowered to it. He walked over to Kylie's side, looking Evfra in the eyes. "Recent intelligence supports that claim."  
  
"If I'm right, there's a vault on Aya that's different. I _need_ to look inside of it, Evfra."  
  
Evfra's eyes tore daggers into hers before he turned away and walked up to a window, arms crossing as he stared out of it, taking in a steadying breath. "You're right." He hummed after a moment. "There's a 'vault' out there, but it was shut years ago and the entrance hidden."  
  
Her mind willed her body to follow after him, hand lightly touching the window as she stared out into the vast expanse of Aya. _Shit, it's beautiful._ His voice broke her train of thought. "We... Can't help you."  
  
"The Moshae can." They both turned to look at Jaal, his eyes wide and sparkling with... Something. Reverence, almost, at the thought of the Moshae. _Whoever that is._ "She's our most revered scientist and elder. She knows this vault."  _Oh._  
  
Evfra scoffed. "But now the kett have her," he all but hissed, turning his head sharply away from them, "and our rescue attempts failed. She's lost to us." A pause. He angrily paced away from Kylie, shaking his head before looking over his shoulder. "And you." He haughtily added.  
  
"There has to be something, another way, someone else? How can I convince you, Evfra?" Folding her arms over her chest, one hand gesturing into the air, brows furrowed. "Can I offer help?"  
  
"Arrogant!" He sneered at her in response, her immediately recoiling, his eyes narrowing. "I don't _know_ you, let alone _trust_ you. Why would I want _your_ help?"  
  
She swallowed thickly, lowering her eyes to the ground as she willed away the desire to flinch from the malice in his voice. _Kill me._ "I - Yeah, you're right. Of course."  
  
"Evfra..." Jaal began, his tone almost scolding as he looked from the girl to him when he noticed her posture shift, his voice sounding heavy with emotion. He hummed in thought for a moment. "Evfra, I feel..." He hesitated, desperately searching for words. "What this alien says is extraordinary." He breathed, approaching the other man. They stared at each other, long and hard, Jaal's eyes searching his. "The Moshae would want us to be brave and not let this chance pass, Evfra."  
  
The other man simply scowled, a hand pressing to his temple, irritated. "Jaal, you talk too much."  
  
"Let me assess this alien." Jaal nearly smiled at her when he spared a glance in her direction, her heart uselessly fluttering. "I'll be your eyes." He leaned towards Evfra, raising his brows. "I know you can spare me."  
  
An exasperated scoff came from Evfra. "Go if you want, then." He rolled his eyes harshly, turning away and beginning to leave. "But when she tries to kill you, be prepared to strike first."  
  
Silence hung in the air as the two simply stared at each other once the other man left, a small and nervous smile on her face. Her heart felt like it was going to stop at any second, now. "I'm Jaal Ama Darav." He broke the silence first, eyes focusing on her lips before darting up to her eyes. "I'll be your envoy through angaran space."  
  
She smiled, this time more confident than the last once she realized he wasn't about to yell at her. "I'm Kylie." She held out her hand, "hope you like cozy quarters, the Tempest is smaller than she looks."  
  
His eyes stared down at her hand, an unreadable expression on his face as he held out his fist beside her hand.  
  
She bit her bottom lip, smile faltering, holding her breath. _What. What the fuck._ Her hand moved inside of his and, after a slight moment of thought, grabbed his fist. He pulled his hand away, grabbed her hand with his other hand and curled it into a fist. Then, his other hand gently pressed against her elbow, causing her to bend it. _Oh. Okay._  
  
Then, he curled his fist and put it against the inside of hers, their wrists touching. He sighed, loudly, his words mumbled. "I hope I don't regret this."  
  
"Me too, Jaal. Me too."


	4. love songs drug songs

Kylie had been standing in the tech lab for what felt like forever now, an awkward silence hanging between her and Jaal that remained in the air for way too long as she just lamely stood there, unable to will her legs to move. He openly observed her as she stared right back at him, her mind feeling like putty under his gaze, both not sure what to say. She originally came in with some kinda plan, but the sight of him made her weak and made her forget everything in her mind.  
  
"So." Jaal tore his gaze from her after a few more drawn out painful seconds, mentally scolding himself for the way he wanted to continue staring at her, _fascinated_ , before plopping down onto his cot across the room, reaching for one of his guns to tinker with, giving his hands something to do instead of fidget.  
  
"So..." She drawled out, reaching out and skimming her fingertips along the countertop along the wall as she made her way over to him, her bright eyes dancing across the room to take in how he decided to redecorate the lab. Boxes and boxes of things and materials and everything was everywhere, some stacked on top of each other and some propped up on his bed, open and scattered.  
  
"You like to tinker with things?" Her hand came to a stop as she got closer to him, keeping a respectable distance between them, awkwardly sitting down on a chair that was nearby. She crossed her ankles, clearing her throat, hands folding in her lap.  
  
"Yes, I do." His answer was curt and courteous, him pausing to spare her a small glance before returning his attention to the gun, deft fingers working swiftly. _Wonder what else those hands can do. No, stop, Kylie. Pretty sure he doesn't trust you, still._  
  
"Ah. I see." She nodded, slightly shaking her head to clear her annoying thoughts away. She took a steadying breath then leaned forward and propped her jaw along her hands. "That's cool."  
  
"I suppose it is." He eyed her out of the corner of his eyes, absentmindedly chewing his bottom lip.  
  
_Goddamn. He's a hard-head._ "That doesn't look like a normal gun." _It was green, Kylie. Of_ course _it's not a normal goddamn gun._  
  
"It is a kett weapon." He smiled, a soft hum escaping him as he paused in his tinkering to finally fully look at her, his expression soft and happy as he took in the way she was looking at him, all curiosity. "My aunt stole it for me from a kett base when I was seven."  
  
"Oh, wow. That's cool." She smiled, the slightest chuckle escaping her, not noticing the way his smile relaxed even more at the sight of hers. _Making progress, one point for Kylie._ "That's amazing when compared to my aunt. She would always sneak me gummy bears during church service when I was little."  
  
"...Gummy bears?" He tried the word, bringing a finger to his chin, staring at her in wonder. "Church... Service?" His brows furrowed in confusion, hand falling from his chin, obviously hoping for some sort of clarity.  
  
"Gummy bears are these sweet little chewy candies that are in the shape of an animal from Earth. Bears." _Oh, wow. That felt lame to say._ "Hence, gummy bears. And church service was where a group of people in a related religion would gather to worship on certain days at certain buildings."  
  
"Candies made in the memory of animals?" He very nearly threw his hands up in exasperation. "Why would your people make such a thing?"  
  
She laughed at his expression. "Don't ask me why, I have _no_ idea. Humans are weird as shit, Jaal."  
  
He mumbled, staring at her for a drawn out moment in thought before he returned his attention back to the weapon, fumbling before he caught his tempo again. "Yes, they are."  
  
"I'm..." She took a steadying breath, squeezing her fingers into a fist then relaxing it. "I'm glad you decided to give me a chance, Jaal."  
  
Silence. _Fuck._  
  
"I want to prove myself to the angara." She was determined to get him to like her, words spilling from her before she had a moment to think it through. She pushed away from her chair, standing and taking a step towards him as she spoke. "Your people have suffered way too much to fight this fight alone. I _want_ to help."  
  
His breath caught in his throat as he listened to her speak, resisting the urge to cross the distance to pull her into his arms and hug her. _She's not just doing this for herself, then._ "If that is true," He started, voice deep and booming, hands trembling before he calmed himself and shifted to set the weapon aside in favor of facing her, taken aback by the passion and fire dancing in her bright blue eyes, "then you must prove it to Evfra, first. He is our leader. Our people listen to him and only him."  
  
"I've been _trying_ to, but he hates my guts. I mean, you saw how he acted towards me on Aya."  
  
"He hates everyone's guts."  
  
"That's reassuring."  
  
A smile danced across his face, her heart stupidly fluttering in her chest at the sight. _He has the nicest smile._ "I suppose you must take what you can get, then."  
  
"Huh. Guess so."  
  
"You..." He hesitated, his beautiful blue eyes soft. "You have a fire inside of you, Ryder." He began, standing and taking slow, calculated steps towards her. "A passion, fierce and beautiful." As he grew closer, his body relaxed in utter relief once he saw she didn't take a step away from him. "It's... Interesting."  
  
Her breath caught in her throat, almost ninety-nine percent sure her heart had totally stopped at this point. "Oh?" Her voice came out shaky and she wanted to scream. " _That_ sounds like a compliment, Jaal." A cocky grin danced across her face.  
  
"It _is_ a compliment." A near shit-eating smirk rolled onto his face and she felt her insides melt.  
  
_"Oh."_

* * *

  
Voeld is exhaustingly cold. The kind of cold that makes your eyes heavy and makes you want to lie down and fall asleep and never wake back up. Kylie's one of those people that's just always cold; Being on Voeld while simultaneously being very naturally cold? One of the worst things in the entire galaxy. She wanted to die. It _felt_ like she was dying.  
  
So, naturally, they ended up having a shit ton to do on Voeld. Naturally. Thanks to Jaal and his big mouth and his habit of making promises that Ryder this, Ryder that, Ryder do-little. He did it all in the name of painting her in a good light to Evfra, of course, but Voeld was her least favorite planet at this point in her life. _Maybe good for a Christmas wonderland vacation kinda thing, though._  
  
Every angara they met on Voeld met her with just as much hostility as the angara on Aya did at first, one even refusing to speak to her and calling her an 'it'. _"Ryder has a name, you know." Jaal's deep voice rumbled, brow quirked up in amusement while Kylie turned a million different shades of red beside him. This boy will be the end of me, no doubt._  
  
"You good, Ryder?" Vetra asked as they trudged along the snowy edges to Ja Niihk, a shielded city Buxil had wanted them to check out once they had managed to take down it's shields after attacking a kett base. Jaal took it upon himself to linger awfully close behind the near-frozen girl, the most worried look on his face as his hand darted out to press against her back to steady her on a rather shaky step.  
  
"Y-Yep." She managed through chattering teeth, bundled to the point of nearly impossible. Every bit of clothing on her felt heavy and solid cold, growing worse through each battle they went through, an insatiable shudder crawling through her skin nearly every second. Her umber skin looked as if the blood was drained from her body, taking on a near ashen undertone, her lips almost purple from the cold, hard, shuddering breaths leaving her in shaky puffs of smoke. "I'm... I-I'm really c-cold."  
  
Her steps started to gradually slow, her limbs growing heavier and heavier with each step.  
  
_"Extreme cold is detected, Kylie. If you do not seek warmth right now, your body will experience hypothermia."_  
  
"Fuck." Vetra rushed to catch her as she stumbled over, only to have Jaal beat her to it. He hefted the small woman up into his big arms, one arm under the bend of her knees and the other across the swell of her back, immediately backtracking and sprinting back to the Nomad. If she wasn't on the verge of passing out, she'd have probably felt her heart skip a few beats from being so close to him. _Goddamn, he's warm. No shit, Kylie, you're a popsicle._ "Hey, Kallo, we need emergency extraction _now_."  
  
_"What's going on?"_  
  
"Ryder's heading into frostbite territory."  
  
_"On our way."_ Lexi cut in after the pilot. _"Get. Her. Warm. **Now**!"_  
  
"Vetra," Jaal's deep voice boomed, heavy breaths escaping him as he trudged up the hill, sparing her a worried glance. "Take my _rofjinn_ off of me and put it around Ryder."  
  
"I-I'm fine, g-g-guys." She barely managed through chattering teeth, her whole body trembling so hard his arms began to shake.  
  
"No, you're not." He said, shooting her a pointed look while Vetra's hands worked diligently to undo the clasps at the front of his rofjinn, pulling it off of his shoulders and laying it over Kylie. Jaal carefully wrapped the strangely thick yet thin material around her, hugging her closer as they neared the Nomad. Her clothes felt _ice cold_. He could only wonder just how cold her body must feel right now.  
  
His rofjinn felt thin yet warm at the same time as if the material itself was heated in some bizarre way, her body shivering in appreciation at the sudden warmth covering her body. Her hand raised into the air in a vain attempt to push Jaal away before weakly falling back against her stomach with a dull _thud_. "I-I'm fine."  
  
Vetra rolled her eyes as she heaved open the Nomad's door, helping maneuver the two of them into the back. "No, you're not." She looked at Jaal. "I'll drive. Stay in the back with her, keep her warm. Don't let her fall asleep."  
  
He nodded then arranged her in a way that let her head rest on his big thighs, her legs propped up on the other seat across from his. He brushed a few strands of loose hair that fell from her braids away from her face, allowing his touch to linger and marveling at just how cold her skin felt against his fingertips. She felt like _ice_ , just like how her eyes looked. "Hey," he purred down at her, leaning closer to her face, watching her eyes flutter. "Stay with me, Ryder."  
  
Her brows furrowed up at him, amazed at how her face managed to not flush from his gentle touch. _It's 'cause you're dying, genius._ "I-I'm right here, d-doofus." Her voice felt heavy, teeth chattering, causing the hand on her face to tremble. A shaky hand reached up to touch his cheek, instantly pulling away at the feel of the warmth and bioelectricity radiating off of his skin, her eyes squeezing shut for a moment from the electricity dancing from his hand on her face. "Y-You're so w-warm."  
  
His chuckle flitted through the vehicle, light and airy, their bodies lightly jolting from a small bump the Nomad hit. "Because I am not on the verge of hypothermia." He grasped her hand and held it back against his cheek, allowing his bioelectricity to freely flow from his face to her hand then down into her body with a tingly numb-like feeling, helping her body speed up the amount of warmth seeping into her from the Nomad's heated interior and his rofjinn.  
  
She gasped at the feeling, shuddering against it. "W-What...?"  
  
"My bioelectricity." He hummed, his other hand moving to rest over her stomach, the warmth seeping in through her shirt. "It can be used to assist in the healing or recovery of others. Honestly, it is typically only used with our romantic partners and family members, but I suppose this is an exception."  
  
_"O-Oh."_

* * *

  
"How many times have I told you to make sure you get enough warmth when on Voeld?" At this point, she was honestly used to Lexi scolding her about nearly everything. Lexi paced back and forth in front of her bed in the medbay, eyes trained onto the datapad in her hand of Sam's diagnostic report of Kylie's system. "Especially when you have an AI in your ear telling you _exactly_ when you need to seek out a heat lamp."  
  
"I know, I know," Kylie murmured, her hand lightly interlaced with Liam's as he sat beside her on the bed. She was avidly wrapped in as many blankets their doctor could find, still shivering under the many piles. "I-I do my best."  
  
Lexi rolled her eyes. "Of course you do, Ryder. You also love to charge head-first into things that nearly kill you because you, _'do your best'_." Her eyes softened, lowering the datapad in her hand. "You need to be more careful."  
  
"Hey, doc, you're bein' a little rough on her there," Liam held out his hand, lips pursed in an adorable pout and bushy brows furrowed. "She's still sick."  
  
"The same goes for you, Liam."  
  
"Ouch."  
  
"You two are the residential hot-heads on this ship, though I'm sure the both of you knew that already." She sighed. "I suppose I'll leave the two of you alone for awhile." Her finger pointed at Liam. "Make sure she stays under those blankets." It turned to Kylie, now. "No leaving until your core temperature reaches a normal reading. And drink that little cocktail I made you. It'll make you feel a world better."  
  
"Got it, _Mom_."  
  
"So," Liam started right after Lexi disappeared around the corner, grinning at her. "Want me to sneak you anything? Food? Drinks? Games?"  
  
Kylie laughed. "Maybe." Her eyes lowered to their joined hands, her idly biting her bottom lip in thought. "If you could sneak me a ration of chocolate and some kinda card game, I'd love you forever."  
  
"Done deal." He gave her hand a little squeeze and a shake before letting go and standing up, casting her a look over his shoulder as he turned the corner, a cocky grin on his face. "Though you know you love me anyways."  
  
"Oh, sure."

* * *

  
Liam rummaged through the kitchen's fridge, humming idly to himself as he moved things around to find his hidden stash of chocolate rations. "Ah, there you are." He smiled, grabbing the bag full of chocolate and turning around. His nose bumped right into Jaal's, him nearly shrieking and dropping the chocolate. "Shit," His hand pressed over his heart, sighing. "When you'd get here, big guy?"  
  
"I walked in a minute ago." Jaal murmured, eyeing the bag of chocolate. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Oh, Ky's sick. I mean, from your guys' little escapade through Voeld." He wiggled the bag. "She asked for chocolate and I'm a pretty generous guy, so."  
  
Jaal's brows furrowed, lips pressing together. "Is she feeling better now?" He moved to sit on one of the metal chairs scattered around the galley's table, crossing his ankle over his knee and leaning back, elbow resting on the table. "I was really worried about her."  
  
"Oh, she's good now. Y'know, after Lexi forced her onto a heating table and bundled her up like a baby." Liam took it upon himself to lift himself up onto the counter, plopping down with a dull thud, legs dangling over the edge, sitting the bag down on his lap.  
  
"Ah. Good. When I took her back to the Nomad back on Voeld, she felt cold to the touch. It..." He paused, emotion dancing through his eyes at the memory, his breath slightly catching in his chest. He wasn't sure what this feeling was, but he didn't know if he liked it. A soft sigh. "Scared me."  
  
Liam whistled. "I bet. When I got a hold of her hand a few minutes ago, she still kinda felt like ice." He paused, a mischevious grin dancing across his face. "Though, gotta admit, she looks pretty bomb in that rofjinn of yours. Even better than you do." A wink.  
  
Jaal grumbled, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Everyone is a critic." He hummed in thought, eyes watching the bag of chocolate resting on Liam's lap. "Ah." He started after a minute. "Are you two close?"  
  
He grinned. "What gave it away?"  
  
"The nicknames you have for each other." He gestured with one of his hands, twisting it in thought. "Uh, Lola and Lala. The way you two always seem to be touching, hugging, holding hands." His deep voice grew soft as he continued, an almost shaky breath leaving him. "You two seem as if you are almost..." The look on his face was downright painful, eyes wide and head tilted ever-so-slightly down, hesitant to say the word. "A couple, even."  
  
"Oh, hell no." Relief washed over Jaal and that _worried_ him. "We're just best friends. Been with her through her own personal hell, y'know? _That_ bonds people. Met her back on a planet called Omega. Just like Kadara. Pulled her outta a fight she was having with her then-boyfriend." A pause, Liam nearly shuddering. "Nasty."  
  
"Boy... Friend?"  
  
"Human term for a partner. Girlfriend, boyfriend. Friend friend."  
  
"Ah. I see." His heart fluttered at the term. _Is she still taken, then? No, he said then-boyfriend. Thank the Stars... No, I should not be_ thanking _the Stars for this. Shit._  
  
"You know the scar on her face?" Liam's index finger and middle finger dragged a line from his right eye across his nose at a sharp angle, stopping short from the edge of his left eye. "Got it from him. Nasty wound when it was fresh."  
  
"He... Did that to her?" His breath left him in a heavy rush, his brows furrowing, the palm of his hand hitting the table. _Unbelievable. This is..._ "That is... Terrible, horrible, _abhorrent_ -" The words left him in a rush. "How could he live with himself after attacking someone he claimed to love?" His voice rose as he spoke, nearly yelling the words as anger raced through his veins.  
  
"Yeah, I know." Liam sighed, hard. "Didn't get it then. Still don't."  
  
"I... I can barely believe this. I am appalled."  
  
"Hey, don't worry. She very nearly killed the guy for that. Left his ass for dead when she went to get her things from their apartment, but last I heard, he'd survived. Wonder if he came to Andromeda."  
  
_Good, good. I can see her doing that; She is... Strong._ Jaal growled. "He better not have."  
  
"Yeah, I know. If he is, I'm gonna make him wish he'd never even looked at her."  
  
"Hmph. I will join you in that."  
  
"Good. Wanna come with me back to the medbay? Sure she'd love to see you."  
  
Jaal's legs felt numb at the thought, all tingly while a small little bubble of affection burst in his chest at the man's words. _She... Would love to see me? How strange._ "She'd love to see me?"  
  
"Oh, you've no idea."

* * *

"Hey, Lala. Look who I dragged over with me!" Liam tugged Jaal into the room by his arm, a big grin dancing across his face, chocolate eyes crinkled in joy. "I also got that chocolate you asked for." He wiggled the bag then brandished the card game she'd asked for. _Uno._

"He did not drag me anywhere. I came simply because I wanted to see you, Ryder." Jaal's all-too-smooth voice purred as he approached one side of the bed, dragging a chair along with him before plopping down in it, his legs uncomfortably high.  
  
"Aww, you wanted to see little old me?" She smiled, patting his thigh with her hand. Her heart skipped a beat at the smile he gave her, all too focused on his big hand landing over hers and giving it a small squeeze, her breath catching and causing her to nearly miss the bag of chocolate Liam suddenly chucked at her face. She ignored the man's haughty laugh at her distraction. "Cute. Wanna play _Uno_ with me and Liam?"  
  
His eyes slid from hers to the card game in Liam's hand, silent as the man plopped down beside her on the bed, legs crossing over each other. He watched as Liam began to shuffle the deck of brightly-colored cards, him humming in thought. "...Yes. I do. How do you play?"  
  
"It's easy, here. Same colors get played until you can change it. There are these wild cards you can play, too." Liam showed the angara the various cards as he explained the rules, holding each one up while Jaal's eyes widened as he listened, almost memorizing them.  
  
As they started the game, each holding their own set of cards, Jaal looked up at Liam. "So," He started, playing a blue card right after Kylie laid one of the same color down over Liam's. "How did you two come to calling each other Lala and Lola?"  
  
Kylie giggled, holding her cards up to cover her happy smile. His heart nearly faltered at how happy she looked. "Aw, it's so dumb, Jaal. You sure you wanna hear the story?"  
  
He hummed, appreciating the sparkle in her eyes. "Yes, I do."  
  
Liam laughed, throwing down a different color onto the pile. "We were high as fuck in our apartment on the Citadel one day."  
  
"...'High as fuck'?" Jaal raised a single brow, tossing down another card. _Their apartment? They lived together? A question to ask for later._  
  
"Oh, we smoked a blunt of weed together. It's a drug from Earth that induces an almost happy aura to come over you." Kylie nodded at him, reaching into her bag of chocolate to grab a handful while tossing a wild card down. "Liam."  
  
"Shit."  
  
"Anyways, I pointed out that both our names have 'li' in them." At the quirk of his mouth, she quickly added, rolling her eyes. "I know, I know. Super dumb, but that's what weed does to you."  
  
"I thought that was cool as hell. Decided we needed to call each other something to play light to that." Liam grinned, throwing another wild card down and pointing at the girl. "Kylie."  
  
"Fuck!"  
  
"All she could think of was to call me Lola. So, obviously, the next thing I thought of was Lala. So, boom. Lala."  
  
"And Lola."  
  
"Hmph. That is... Oddly adorable." A smile danced across Jaal's face, watching the way Kylie's eyes twinkled as she spoke. "That is something I can see the two of you doing."  
  
"I know, right? We're just cute in that way." Kylie grinned, throwing down a two times card that landed on Jaal.  
  
"Shit."


	5. goosebumps

"Overriding the door," Kylie said as she started to work on the door's lock. The doors hissed open and silence fell upon the trio as they entered Thaldyr's home, eerily quiet until a broken sob cut through the silence. "D-Don't," She barely managed, pained, holding a hand over her stomach, blood pooling from her wrists, staining her hands a deep purple. "Don't c-come... Don't come any closer!"  
  
"Thaldyr, we're here to help." Kylie's entire body stiffened as Jaal spoke, her eyes widening, her heart hammering in her ears as Jaal ran over to the angaran woman. Her hands trembled as her eyes lowered to her own wrists, turning them over to look at the colored-over scars dancing across them. _She... She's trying to kill herself? I..._ Her thoughts dissipated as a warm hand pressed against her lower back, urging her to turn away, her eyes flickering to Liam. "Hey," he started, so soft, so careful, like she's the most fragile thing, "let's get you out of here, okay? Jaal can handle this."  
  
Her head shook violently, biting her bottom lip hard to hold back the urge to throw up, watching as Jaal kneeled down to press his gloved hands against her wounds, his gloves covered in rich purple. "I... Stop, Liam." She breathed in deeply. "I don't... I don't want her to die alone."  
  
A brief look of hurt flickered across his face for the briefest moment at her using his actual name before he allowed himself to nod, his hand not leaving her back as they took slow steps towards the other two. Her breath faltered as she attempted to steel herself, ignoring the way her heart squeezed painfully at the sight of the woman bleeding out.  
  
"Your wounds," Jaal started, looking over the woman, "they're... Self-inflicted?"  
  
"The... The kett, I-I can't go back. They will not take me," she breathed in Jaal's arms, allowing him to lay her back down on her cot.  
  
"The kett are dead." His hands reached for hers, taking them gently. "They cannot take you. We will not let them, sister." He said so softly, his hands squeezing her hands as tightly as possible as he brought them to his forehead, pressing against them while tears bit at the corners of his eyes.  
  
"Y-You sound like him. So confident. So sure." Her voice was pained, her eyes fluttering shut for a brief moment as a wave of pain washed over her.  
  
"You mean Akksul?" Liam spoke for Kylie, noticing the way her mouth opened and shut a few times as if she were unable to form any words.  
  
"He... He saved me, gave me a chance to live and die, on my own terms."  
  
"Thaldyr..." Jaal's voice was so gentle as he pulled back to look her in the eyes. "We need to find him."  
  
The woman took in a shuddering breath before her head rolled back. Jaal reached up to gently close her eyes, a shaky sigh leaving him, his voice wavering. "Isharay, brave one."

* * *

  
As they boarded the Tempest after laying Thaldyr to rest, an eery, tense silence hung among the three as they walked through the cargo hold, the heavy sounds of their boots echoing painfully through the hold. "Hey," Vetra started after a moment, leaning forward to reveal herself from her position in front Drack near one of the workbenches, immediately eyeing Kylie as she started to pass them, the girl's eyes locked on the floor. That is... Not usual. "Everything good?"  
  
She must've looked absolutely _horrible_ , her eyes bloodshot and her face just sullen, an occasional sniffle leaving her as she fought against the emotions storming in her heart. All she could manage was to meekly nod her head, eyes never looking up, pushing her way past the group, willing herself to make it to her quarters before she allowed herself to fall apart.  
  
Drack's brows furrowed and he stepped out, shooting a pointed look at the other two while pressing a big hand in front of her to pause her steps. His eyes landed back on her after eyeing the other two down, his voice laced with the faintest hint of worry. "Kid, you good? You look like shit."  
  
Her head nodded sharply, rounding his arm and continuing, already starting to unclasp her armor with trembling hands, the weight almost too much for her to bear on her already crushing chest. She painfully bit back a sudden sob in her throat, her lip quivering while her steps grew into an almost full on sprint.  
  
Drack's head snapped in Liam and Jaal's direction, him snarling and angry and ready to go. "Alright, which one of you dumbasses upset her?" He stomped towards them, getting right up in their faces, his fists clenched at his sides. "Speak up, _now_."  
  
"Drack," Vetra warned, stepping towards him.  
  
"Stop, Vetra," He looked over his shoulder at her, a warning look dancing in his eyes. "The kid's going through so much shit already, she doesn't need these two knuckleheads making it _worse_."  
  
Jaal looked like he was going to burst into tears on the spot, his hands uselessly fumbling in the air while he attempted to string some sort of sentence together, words all but leaving him.  
  
Liam was the first to speak, words leaving him in a near rush of panic, bringing his splayed hands up in his defense. "We went to find this Thaldyr chick that Jaal had asked us to find for some info about Akksul. We found her bleeding out in her home. She killed herself."  
  
"Fuck. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_ ," was all Drack could manage as he turned and followed after Kylie. "Fuck."  
  
Liam ran after him. "I know! I tried taking Lala out of the home but she didn't want to go," he breathed, "I know she has problems with this kinda stuff. She didn't wanna leave Thaldyr to die alone."  
  
"This damn kid," Drack sighed, promptly knocking as loudly as possible on her door, "too nice for her own damn good." He knocked again when there was no answer. "Kid," he called out, "let me in."  
  
_"Kylie has specifically requested that she be left alone at this time, Drack."_  
  
The softest sound came through the doors, a muffled sob.  
  
"I don't give a damn. Let me in."  
  
_"She does not wish to be disturbed during this time."_  
  
"Then I'm gonna sit my ass down here and wait until she lets me in." He plopped down with a loud thud against the doors to her quarters, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. Liam shot him a soft look, hand grasping his neck as he rolled his head and turned on his heel to leave him there. Drack pulled up his omnitool and sent her a message. _I can hear you crying, kid. Let me in._  
  
No response.  
  
_Kylie._  
  
No response.  
  
_Goddamn it, Kylie. You can't lock yourself away and bottle up your emotions, kid. It's bad for you. I would know._  
  
_I'm fine._  
  
_That's a goddamn lie. I can hear you fucking crying. Let me in, I wanna talk._  
  
_I don't._  
  
_I'm just as stubborn as you are, if not more. I'm gonna camp my ass outside of your room until you let me in._  
  
_Hope you brought a shit ton of rations, then._  
  
Drack indignantly huffed. He's too old for this shit. This kid, honestly. He paused, absentmindedly thumbing his omnitool before his mind idly added, _my kid_.  
  
_You're just like Kesh sometimes._  
  
_Is that a compliment?_  
  
_It **should** be._  
  
He heard the softest snort of a chuckle that broke through the uneven sobs from behind the doors, a flicker of a smirk on his face.  
  
_I heard that._  
  
_Fuck you, old man. Let me be old and cranky in peace._  
  
He laughed out loud. _That's my line._  
  
_I know._  
  
The doors hissed open to reveal a red-eyed Kylie leaning against them, sniffling as she rubbed at her face with her hand in an attempt to compose herself, elbow propped against the frame and her voice heavy. "What do you want?"  
  
"Liam told me what happened," he said as he stood up and walked into her room without waiting for an invitation inside, heading right over to the couch to fall on to it with a loud thud. "I know how you get with that kinda shit." His feet hefted up to rest on the coffee table. "I wanted to make sure you didn't hurt yourself."  
  
She remained in her same position at the door, idly playing with her thumbs and staring at the floor, swallowing thickly. "I don't 'hurt myself'."  
  
"Yeah, you do. Don't think I haven't noticed the cuts on your arms and when you wear long-sleeve shit for days at a time." He quirked his brow, watching as her shoulders raised in a nonchalant shrug. "I know you hate long-sleeve shirts."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
His eyes surveyed the room, noticing the way her armor was scattered across the floor. Probably took it off in a rush, not caring if it got scratched. He looked back at her, noticing she'd already changed back into what he assumed was her pajamas, a loose dark-red and black Initiative shirt and black leggings. _That was fast._  
  
"You gonna join me on the couch or are you gonna continue your pity party in your doorway?"  
  
"Maybe both."  
  
Drack laughed. "Get your ass over here, Cinderella. I'm here to listen, got it? Whatever you needa get off your chest, I'm your punchin' bag."  
  
She softly chuckled before she sighed and willed herself to leave her doorway, turning to stare at him for a moment before she forced her feet to move and make her way to the couch. "You don't have to do this, y'know."  
  
"Oh, I have to. I've mentally adopted you, kid."  
  
The smile he got from her made his hearts  _hurt_. All four of them. She just needs someone to show they care about her, someone who's willing to put time aside to just make sure she's okay. Shit, she's had to be so strong for so long, maybe she doesn't know how to rely on other people anymore.  
  
"Um," she started once she fell across from him on the couch, folding her legs and staring down at her hands, "I guess... I don't know how I feel."  
  
"Oh, yeah?"  
  
"Yeah. I mean, I remember when I was... When I was in Thaldyr's position, but it... It wasn't because I was being _hunted_ by the same people that kidnapped me once before. Shit, seeing her like that? It made my issues at the time feel so... So _stupid_ to react to them in that way."  
  
"Everyone's got their own problems they gotta deal with." He pointed his finger at her. "Just 'cause one seems more serious to you than yours did doesn't mean that yours wasn't as serious."  
  
"I know, but... It was all in my head, wasn't it? I mean, I'm sick. Mentally ill." She resentfully admitted. She sounded so _bitter_ as she continued, so angry at herself. "Everyone knows this. I have all these stupid problems and they're all in my head and," her voice broke, her hands coming up to press against her mouth, trying to will her tears away.  
  
He stood up with a crack and made his way to her, falling down beside her and snaking his arm around her shoulder, pressing her against him. "It's not 'all in your head', kid. It's real and it's serious. You've got a ship load of people that care about you. You don't have to deal with all this shit on your own."  
  
Her hands grabbed at his clunky armor, the juts of it pressing painfully against her hands, a bitter sob wrenching it's way through her, pressing her head into his chest as he shifted to hug her. "You're good, kid. We're here for you. I'm here for you."


	6. six feet under

"Hey, Jaal," Kylie started into her omnitool as she made her way up the ramp to the vidcall center, shooting a fleeting glance at the tech lab. "I'm about to call Evfra."  
  
_"On my way."_  
  
She heard the tech lab doors hiss open behind her and heavy footsteps join in with hers, him making his way up to her side, the two effortlessly falling into step with each other. "Kinda figured you'd want to be present for this, y'know, just in case he decides to drag my ass again."  
  
"...Drag your ass?" He quirked an eyebrow at her, a slight smirk tugging at his lips.  
  
Kylie laughed, giving his shoulder a little punch.  
  
He sighed deeply, furrowing his brows. "Hmph. _Idiom_. I'm _very_ tired of those."  
  
The vidcall beamed to life once she tapped the commands to call him, the hologram of Evfra sparking up beside them, looking just as irritated as usual. She gritted her teeth and gave him a curt smile. "Commander."  
  
"Pathfinder." The hologram sighed insufferably, not bothering to be even the least bit polite. "Jaal's been keeping me updated on your... 'Adventures'. Your 'good deeds' on our behalf." He didn't even have to raise his hands to let her know he was using air quotes as heavily as possible.  
  
She resisted the urge to sigh, trying her best to remain _professional_. "I mean them, Evfra. I'm doing everything in my goddamn power to show that you can trust me."  
  
"She is," Jaal added in, stepping towards the hologram and holding out a hand. "She has proven herself a trustworthy ally and a friend."  
  
"Yes." He hummed in thought, rolling his eyes at the angara. "You went out of your way to free that science team, truly a 'selfless' act. You also saved those prisoners from Ja Niihk, though you sacrificed valuable information from that AI you destroyed." A pause. "However, your true agenda is clear, Pathfinder, and you have not hidden that. You want to explore Aya's vault. How do I know you're not just doing this for your own benefit?"  
  
"It's for _both_ our species' benefit, Evfra." Her hands gestured vividly, pacing back and forth in front of him as she spoke, pulling every string inside of her to be coherent. "I'm not doing it for shits and giggles and curiosity. Aya's different. It's vault? Different. There's something inside of it that might show us how it works, why it's different. We need it."  
  
The hologram rolled it's eyes. "Jaal says you want to rescue the Moshae. Why should I let you?"  
  
_Let me? Goddamn, this smug ass motherfucker._ "Evfra, you and I both know I get shit done. You need your Moshae back. I've got this. I can rescue her."  
  
A near chuckle escaped him, catching her right off guard. "Spoken like me. Bold, a little arrogant. I like it."  
  
Her and Jaal shared equally shocked looks, her hand coming up to her mouth to cover it as it fell open. Kylie raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged in response. "Still, I'll reserve my judgment on you. For now."  
  
Her omnitool pinged to life as he continued, "we've managed to trace the Moshae to a special kett facility on Voeld."  
  
"How is it special?" She asked as she pulled open the image he sent her, Jaal stepping closer to her and pointing a finger at it, tracing the entrance on the map.  
  
"The facility's protected by a dynamic shield tech we haven't been able to crack." He sighed, watching as the two mulled over the blueprints he sent her. "We're close, but it's ability to adapt outstrips the speed of our current processors."  
  
_"Kylie,"_ Sam started in her ear causing her to jump from the sudden voice, Jaal's hand grabbing her wrist to steady it so he could continue investigating the image of the facility. _"Adding my ability to their processors would no doubt make the difference."_  
  
"Evfra, I can help." Kylie took a step towards the hologram once she closed her omnitool, looking right into his eyes. She steeled herself, preparing for his no doubt loud reaction to her forthrightness. "This time, _respectfully_ ," she said pointedly, "you need my help."  
  
"Respectfully," he spit right back at her, arms crossing over his chest, "I don't need anything from you. I can handle more than you possibly ever could."  
  
"Evfra." She glared at him. "I have a fancy-ass AI in my head that can process shit in a nanosecond. That shield?" She pointed to the distance for emphasis, Jaal's eyes following her finger before he realized it led nowhere. "It would be gone in _seconds_."  
  
A silence fell between them as he stared right at her, shock registering on his face for the briefest moment. "An AI? Of course." He scoffed. "That makes sense."  
  
_"Yes. I have already configured three different ways to crack the shield and I am working on more as we speak."_  
  
"This fancy guy's physically connected to me, so if you want his help, I gotta be there."  
  
"It was risky to be honest about your AI, Pathfinder." Evfra hummed in thought, staring down at the ground for a moment. "Your honesty makes you different from the kett." He admitted after a second, looking back at her.  
  
"Yeah, I'd hope so." Her arms crossed over her chest. "Hopefully also my appearance, y'know. They're _kinda_ ugly." That earned a boisterous laugh from Jaal, him hitting his knee in amusement.  
  
Evfra rolled his eyes. "Very well. You're welcome on this mission."  
  
"About time!" She gave Jaal a high-five before turning back to the hologram and hastily adding, "aw, thanks, Evfra. I'm flattered."  
  
"A team will meet you at our base on Voeld. They'll take you to the kett facility from there. Stay strong and clear. Goodbye."  
  
"And may the Stars guide you." She nodded as he faded away.

* * *

  
The shuttle hummed loudly as it swerved through the air, their team cramped inside of it, all huddled together. Jaal held onto a handrail above as he stood by Kylie while she sat in one of the seats beside Liam, her hand resting on the brunette's armored thigh as they spoke. "So, nobody's seen the inside of one of these places? For real?"  
  
Jaal smiled down at her, his eyes flickering to her hand as Liam's hand joined hers, their fingers lacing for a second. "None who lived to tell, at least. Prisoners who go in are never seen again." He let out a shaky sigh, head tilting slightly down. "They are..." He took in a deep breath. "The _disappeared_."  
  
Liam's brows furrowed, pulling his hand back from hers and gesturing with it as he spoke. "But haven't you staged rescues before?"  
  
"Sure," Commander Heckt started from his seat across from them, "we've liberated kett work camps before. Never these facilities, though. We lost so many fighters trying to. The price was too high."  
  
Owwin chirped in from beside Jaal, hope dancing in his tone. "I like to believe that the kett take important angara from here to their home cluster."  
  
Jaal took in a sharp breath. "What? As slaves?"  
  
"I... I-I guess."  
  
" _Death_ is better."  
  
Kylie sighed. "Jaal," she started, hitting his leg and shooting him a pointed look. "We can't just give in to blanket despair, y'know. We gotta have hope. That's why they fight, Jaal. It's why we're here."  
  
"It's why we're excited to be a part of this mission," Heckt added in.  
  
The pilot cut off their conversation. "We're here and let's be quick. This storm's gonna get worse." Kylie pushed off of her seat as he spoke, turning to face Jaal and grabbing onto the railing he was holding on to.  
  
"Once we're through the shield, you take point, Jaal. You know this place better than I do." When he nodded, she continued. "We'll look for Moshae Sjefa. Please don't get yourselves killed, okay?"  
  
Skaelv smirked. "Pathfinder, no one joins the Resistance to 'stay safe'. We fight or we die."  
  
As they made their way out of the shuttle, the pilot comm'd in. _"Good luck. Radio me when you're ready to get out of here."_ Kylie nodded. "Will do."

* * *

  
"Anyone know what kinda force we're expecting?" She asked as they made their way up the snowy hills to the giant blue shield protecting the facility, sparing a glance at a few of their squadmates.  
  
Skaelv chirped in. "Not a clue."  
  
"Awesome. Sweet." Her nose scrunched up. "Stay close, don't draw attention unless we have to."  
  
Owwin approached the shield, cautiously tapping it with the butt of his rifle. When the shield sparked to life, he jumped away from it, eyes wide. "They won't be expecting us to take down this shield. It'll give us an edge."  
  
Skaelv hit his rifle away from the shield, shooting him a stern look. "Our intel says there's a system node to hack on an interface point near here. Somewhere."  
  
"Skaelv's our top kett hacker." Owwin patted the angara's shoulder, giving her a smile.  
  
Kylie merely nodded before she took off along the shield's wall, eyeing the structure's bottom half until she reached an exposed node jutting from the ground. "Gotcha." She kneeled down, pulling up her omnitool. "Just like we practiced, Sam. Run angaran shield disable program."  
  
_"Adding my process accelerator. Please stand by."_  
  
A minute passed. _"Please continue to stand by."_  
  
When a few more minutes passed of nothing happening, Kylie could feel the angaras glaring a hole into the back of her head and she impatiently pursed her lips, shoving her hands into her armor's belt and nodding her head. She kicked a small rock. "Sam, please don't embarrass me in front of our new friends."  
  
Liam snickered.  
  
_"I have created a small hole in the shield."_ Sam finally chipped in as the shield briefly flickered to nothing in front of her, a circle just wide enough to fit one at a time eating through it. "Sweet."  
  
Owwin gasped. "Look, it worked! Amazing."  
  
"Right," Liam started, pushing past Kylie to be the first to head inside the shield, "let's see it through."  
  
The group followed him one by one as they went through the breach in the shield, reaching for their guns as they neared the two vents leading into the facility. "Okay, so, I'll -" A wraith uncloaked itself and charged right for Kylie, knocking her clean off of one of the rocky ledges and sent her rolling down the snowy bank.  
  
Liam yelled, charging at the one that knocked her clean down. "Watch out for kett pets!" His omnitool sheared to life as it's weapon came out, him leaping down and slamming the blade clean into its head. Jaal hummed as he shot at another one that came uncloaked. "My favorite!"  
  
Skaelv ran for Kylie and pulled her up, helping her brush the snow off of her armor. "Fuck," the girl mumbled, "thanks." She pulled up her shotgun and shot the vents clean open, mumbling to herself. "Sam, by the time we leave this goddamn place, I wanna know _everything_ about it."  
  
_"Yes, Kylie."_  
  
"Alright, let's get down to business. Owwin, Skaelv, you're with me. Stay close." Heckt nodded to his teammates, edging closer to Kylie and her group as they jumped through the holes she shot into the vent.  
  
When they neared closer to the end of the vent, Kylie crouched to peer down at the kett scattered about the room through her sniper rifle's scope. "There's at least fifteen of 'em," she started, standing and switching to her shotgun, "see y'all down there." And with that and a little wave, she charged into the fray of them, immediately ripping out her biotics and slamming a nova down in the middle of the cluster.  
  
Jaal and Liam were hot on her heels as they jumped down from the vent's ledge, Jaal rolling into cover and sniping at the ones high above while Liam immediately charged into the fray Kylie wedged herself into, cutting into them with his omnitool.  
  
"Oh!" Owwin gasped as they jumped down, guns raised and blazing. "Do you see this Heckt?" He glanced at his Commander while Kylie charged into another cluster of kett bastards, continuing on like that. "This place is... _Amazing_!"  
  
"Yeah, incredible. Focus," Heckt reminded him, charging a Destined that had just barely started to cloak in a cloud of blue.  
  
"I can't believe I'm in here," Skaelv said breathlessly, crouching down into cover behind a metal container.  
  
Kylie comm'd in. _"Yeah, bet these guys can't believe it, either!"_  
  
Jaal's laughed boomed through the comm.  
  
"This is so satisfying!" Her omnitool sank deep into one of the kett as Skaelv yelled out.  
  
"Kett bastards!" Heckt yelled.  
  
"Wait 'til I tell my brothers!" Owwin beamed as he took down two more kett.  
  
"They'll be so proud!" Jaal grinned, shooting a glance in Owwin's direction.  
  
"What's the matter, _alien_?" Skaelv gave Liam a small push when he suddenly fell behind her cover, panting and breathless. "Can't keep up?"

Liam sneered. "Right behind you, _alien_."  
  
As the fighting came to a stop, the lot of them crowded around the main entrance while Kylie went around and kicked open containers, searching for anything valuable. "Pathfinder," Heckt called after her, motioning for her to come here. As she neared, he spoke up. "Doubt we're a surprise anymore."  
  
"Oh, yeah." She reached into her pack for a protein bar, immediately chomping into it. When Skaelv quirked a brow, Kylie sighed. "Biotics. Takes up a lot of energy, so I have to eat a lot. Ignore my rude ass."  
  
Heckt nodded. "You have the best chance of finding Moshae Sjefa. We'll attack head on and distract these bastards."  
  
She quirked a brow, finishing her protein bar. "Sounds like suicide, but alright. Be careful."  
  
"We're ready for anything, Pathfinder." Heckt reassured her, reaching out and clasping his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"This is the main entrance. We'll go this way, Pathfinder." Skaelv said as the doors hissed open, a few of them already heading inside.  
  
"See you on the flip side." Kylie shot them double thumbs-up.

* * *

  
"What... What the hell is this?" Jaal breathed as his hand pressed against the glass, his voice heavy as they watched the disturbing scene go on through the window. A group of angaras below them were willingly walking into kett containment pods, kett gathered around them with their arms crossed, chanting like a scene out of a horror movie.  
  
Kylie's cold eyes were wide in shock, her breath frozen until Jaal looked at her with equally horrified eyes. She swallowed hard. "That's crazy cult-like shit down there, Jaal. They're in some kinda trance."  
  
He approached the glass again, eyes squinting as he scanned the room. "The Moshae is not in there, though..." He paused, pointing a thick finger to the pods decorated all around the walls. "Maybe one of those pods."  
  
_"You wanted a distraction?"_ Owwin started over the comm, her wrist flicking up as her omnitool sparked to life. _"We just set our plan on fire."_ Her and Jaal stared at each other for a drawn out minute before an explosion was set off in the distance, the entire facility shaking from the impact. "Goddamn. They get shit done."  
  
"Yes, they do," Jaal mumbled as they looked back down through the window, watching as the Cardinal began to panic and a hologram popped up. "Who...?" He paused, his hand splaying over the glass. "Is... Is that the Archon?"  
  
"Shit, I hate him so much." Kylie's hand slammed on the glass over where his hologram was, snarling.  
  
_"Wait. Is the Moshae among these?"_ The Archon's hologram asked, glancing around the room.  
  
The Cardinal immediately replied, her hands wrenching together in front of her, anxiety bubbling in her body. _"No, It awaits final exaltation."_  
  
He nodded after a minute, glaring at the Cardinal. _"Proceed and bring it immediately to me."_  
  
" _Final_ exaltation? What's _final_?" Jaal turned and grabbed Kylie's shoulders, panic in his voice and blue eyes wide and boring into hers. He shook her shoulders as he spoke, his words frantic. "What are they doing, Ryder? We have to save all the angara!"  
  
Her hand came up and rested over one of his, nodding her head. "We will, Jaal. We're here, let's at least do everything we can for them while we have the opportunity."  
  
"Thank you, Ryder."  
  
"Lala." They looked over at Liam, his hands on his hips and his fluffy brows furrowed. "That wasn't the plan."  
  
"Lola, plans change. Get with the program." She glared at him before she took off towards the doors to the next room. "You, of all people, should understand that."

* * *

  
Liam sighed irritably as they entered another chamber only to be locked inside, again. "Decontamination proto -" He was interrupted as Kylie yanked his collar down and shoved him right to the floor, all while sliding to her knees across the floor to the bottom of the window. "Get down," She hissed as Jaal crouched behind her, a hand on her shoulder to steady himself, her pointing to the group of Destined kett standing guard, directly facing the window with their guns raised.  
  
"Sam, anything you can do?" Her voice was a whisper.  
  
_"Working on it."_  
  
Jaal gasped as he watched a containment pod slowly lower from the air, levitating in the air as if the room had zero gravity. "Ryder," his brows furrowed in confusion while he tilted her head up to look at where he was looking, a thick finger pointing. "Look."  
  
"What the...?" She started as the Cardinal began to levitate as well, flying straight up to meet the pod in the air, thick needles filled with a dark substance in her crossed arms. "What the fuck? This feels like a weird-ass sci-fi horror movie."  
  
"It really does," Liam said, breathless.  
  
The pod hissed open as an angaran male came into view, the man blinking a few times before his eyes focused on the Cardinal, his arms coming out in an attempt to keep her away as he shook off the effects of the pod.  
  
Jaal's mouth fell open, a hand pressing against the glass as he watched the Cardinal's arms slowly uncross, only to jam the needles immediately into the angara's chest, the most horrible, mangled screams coming from the man. Kylie winced and looked away, squeezing her eyes shut and hand coming up to cover her mouth while Jaal grunted in pain, an eye squeezing shut as if he could feel the needles in his own chest.  
  
His body convulsed, screams growing more and more pained and louder as he fought against whatever was in his system, his body slowly growing black, looking as if he were melting. As it covered his body he fell to the ground, rolling onto his back as his body slowly transformed into a... A kett. "Holy fuck," Kylie said breathlessly.  
  
Jaal lost it. He screamed, slamming the butt of his gun as hard as he can into the glass as many times as possible until Sam managed to shut down the protocols. He sprinted into the room, gun raised and blazing as he went crazy on the kett, ripping into one after the other.  
  
When Kylie and Liam ran into the fray, he screamed into the comm, his voice panicked and almost slurred. _"No, wait! Don't kill the angara! Save the angara!"_ He breathed. _"Be careful!"_  
  
_"Jaal,"_ Kylie quipped back into their comms, shooting him a worried glare. _"He's shooting **at us**!"_  
  
A hiss came from Liam as he took down two Destined with a grenade. _"Motherfucker! We're making the kett pay for this!"_  He yelled out.  
  
_"Monsters! **Villains**! Time to die!"_ Jaal screamed, words almost jumbled, disappearing and reappearing as he sank his omnitool into one kett's head.  
  
_"What he said!"_ Liam called out.  
  
_"What we saw might be happening to the Moshae **right now**! We gotta hurry, guys!"_ Kylie's voice trembled, definitely beginning to feel the overuse of her biotics as she slammed out another nova, her fist painfully slamming into the metal ground, her recoiling in pain and shaking her hand.  
  
"Okay, shit, got 'em all. Everyone good?" She was breathless as she straightened up and holstered her gun, nodding her head back at Liam as he gave her a thumbs up. Jaal bolted past the two of them, his breath coming out in uneven puffs.  
  
He collapsed at the deceased angara's now-kett body, tears biting at his eyes. Kylie knelt down beside him, her hands grabbing his shoulders. "Jaal..." She started, him turning his head away from her as he bit his bottom lip to hold back a wretched sob.  
  
"They..." He started slowly, voice breaking with heavy emotion, his hand reaching out to touch the kett's face. His fingers trailed from his cheekbone down to his jaw, his hand trembling at the way his skin felt. "They _are_ us." His hands came up to his face, mimicking his motion, his body suddenly wracked with sobs.  
  
Kylie yanked him hard into her arms, hugging him as tightly as she possibly could, his head hitting her chin while her arms were hardly able to surround him from how wide he was compared to her. He buried his head in her chest, hands desperately grabbing at her back for purchase as his sobs grew louder, his sniffling gross and sharp.  
  
"Hey..." Liam started as he approached the two in a ball on the floor, kneeling on one knee while his hand met Jaal's back, giving him a gentle, soothing rub. "You're good, big guy. We're here for you." He wrapped his arms around him as well, squeezing him just as hard as Kylie was.  
  
"They are us," his voice was barely a whisper, his breathing unsteady and heavy as he pulled away from her as Liam stood, his big eyes blurry with tears. "They are us."  
  
Her hands met his face after she set her shotgun down, wiping away his tears with her thumbs. "I know, I can't believe it, either."  
  
"How... How many have I killed, not knowing?" His eyes searched hers, looking for an answer he couldn't find, desperation dancing in them. His emotions felt strange, unable to pinpoint exactly what he was feeling. "Kylie, I did not know." He bit back a painful sob, his blue eyes wide and his throat aching.   
  
"Jaal, I'm so sorry." Her hand trailed from his jaw to his shoulder then down his arm before they came back to his face and she wiped away more of his tears, eyes flickering over to Liam as the man started to walk away from them. "You didn't know, Jaal. You can't blame yourself for what you didn't know."  
  
He hesitated, eyes looking at her lips as his thoughts danced through his mind, words hard to find. He swallowed thickly. "I-I know, but now that I do know?" His hand met hers on his face. "I... I don't know what to do."  
  
"Is there any way I can help you feel better?" Her eyes searched his, brows furrowing. "What do you need?"  
  
He took in a deep breath, his other hand reaching to meet his other to cradle her jaw, taken aback by the emotion dancing in her icy blue eyes for him. His finger wiped away a smudge of kett blood from her cheek. His chest hurt. "That is... Kind. _You_ are kind. I don't know."  
  
She took his hand from her face and helped him stand up. "Come on. Let's find the Moshae. I'm sure she can figure out what this means for the angara."  
  
"You..." He took a steadying breath, staring down at her, a strange emotion bubbling in his chest at the sight of her. "You are probably right."  
  
_"Lala, Jaal,"_ Liam started into the comms, _"she's down here."_  
  
They stared at each other for a long, drawn out moment before they broke into a full-on sprint after Liam, running right into another room with a decontamination protocol beeping active and the doors hissing shut behind them. Jaal started yelling, alternating between slamming his body and his gun against the door. "Sam, get me into that room _now_!" Kylie yelled into her omnitool, joining Jaal in his body-slamming.  
  
_"Initiating decontamination protocols bypass hack."_  
  
"Ryder!" He gasped as the doors hissed open and the group bolted through, guns roaring as they started to decimate the kett while the Cardinal ran off ahead. "She has the Moshae!"  
  
After the last Destined fell, the trio took off after the Cardinal's trail. "Moshae Sjefa! We're coming for you!" Jaal called out as they rounded the corner, only to come face to face with an elevator and no idea where she went. "Shit!"  
  
"Sam, you got anything?" Kylie asked as they boarded the elevator and she pressed the button, the elevator whirring to life.  
  
_"I was able to access the facility plans at the last terminal. A best guess would be the shuttle launch area above."_  
  
"Sweet, thanks, Sam." She looked at Jaal, reaching out to lay her hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "We're getting her back."  
  
"Yes, we are." He growled in determination, hand meeting hers.  
  
The doors hissed open and they made their way through the winding hallways out to what seemed to be the expense of the shuttle bay, bringing their guns out as they ran through the door. _"There she is!"_ Jaal called out into their comms as they broke apart to get into position, his voice desperate. _"I see her! They're getting ready to leave!"_  
  
"Hang tight, Moshae! We're getting you the _fuck_ outta here!" Kylie called out as she rolled down the main walkway then charged forward, biotics soaring around her in a purple, crackling haze. A few kett fell over from the impact, the Cardinal getting knocked back a few steps.  
  
"You will not take her!" The Cardinal yelled as she moved out of Kylie's way, throwing the Moshae to the side in favor of amping up her shield to prepare for an attack.  
  
"No, _you_ will not take her!" Kylie quipped back as she threw a biotic wave in her direction, feeling the tug of her biotics in her implant.  
  
_"Ryder, your implant is overheating."_ He almost sounded concerned. That should worry her, but she was so focused on the fight, she couldn't bring herself to care.  
  
"Don't care right now, Sam!"  
  
"Protect the chosen one!" The kett leader called out, bringing forth a surge of energy into the mass effect shield around her and throwing it at Kylie. It knocked her clean back on her ass and the Cardinal swooped forward before she could stand, grabbing Kylie by the shoulders and dragging her up, right into her field, her body freezing as though she was in a containment field. She fought desperately against the field to no avail.  
  
"Foolish human," she started, the shield around them dancing and crackling dangerously, surrounding Kylie in vibrant, dancing, dangerous blue energy. The girl's cold eyes went wide and looked at the field surrounding her frantically, her breathing coming out ragged and panicked. "You don't _deserve_ the gift we're trying to give you!" It danced to life, electricity crackling through and striking through her body, the _worst_ gut-wrenching scream coming from her, her body shaking and trembling violently as the Cardinal threw her back, the orb of lightning going with her.

It sent her flying backward, lightning cascading through the room in a brilliant light show as she crashed at the top of a set of stairs, her body rolling down each step until she landed on the floor with a loud _bang_.  
  
_"Kylie!"_ Jaal screamed through their comms, knocking down a few more kett before he darted up to her collapsed body, hesitating as the electric field gradually simmered down to nothing, then he fell to his knees and pressed a hand against her pulse point on her neck. _"Sam?!"_  
  
_"She is unconscious. I have managed to reduce the damage the electricity would have caused without me connected to her, but she is badly injured. Her heart had momentarily stopped, but I have managed to restart it. She needs immediate medical attention or she will die."_  
  
"This isn't real. This can't be real." Disbelief ran through his voice, his hands grabbing her face. He could feel tears biting at the corner of his eyes, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. "Kylie, wake up! Get up, _now!_ "  
  
A strangled scream caught his attention, his head snapping over only to see the Cardinal fall down and Liam making a move for the Moshae. _"Cardinal bitch down!"_ The brunette called through the comms, linking his arm under the angaran woman's and helping the Moshae to her feet.  _"That's for Lala, bitch."_  
  
Jaal wrapped an arm under the bend of the girl's knees and across the swell of her back, hefting her limp body up into his arms and making his way to where the other two are. "Moshae Sjefa," he started, his worried eyes wide and searching her, keenly looking for any sign of injuries on her body. "Are you injured? Did they hurt you?"  
  
"I am fine, Jaal." Moshae Sjefa winced in pain before she steadied herself. When her eyes finally focused, they fell on the small human in his arms, worry dancing across her face. She reached out to touch Kylie's shoulders, her brows furrowed. "Is _she_ okay?"  
  
"I... I do not know." He hesitated before lifting her a hair higher to speak into his omnitool. "Lexi, be prepared for our arrival back on the Tempest. Ryder is injured. _Bad_."

 _"What happened?"_ Her voice was laced with worry, the shuffling of metal objects moving around in the background as she spoke.

Sam cut in.  _"She was electrocuted. Her biotic implant is damaged. Her heart has also stopped once, though I have managed to resuscitate her."_

 _"By the Goddess... She needs to be brought back to the Tempest **immediately**_ _."_  
  
Liam wearily eyed Kylie as they spoke, noticing the blood starting to trickle from her nose and her ears, feeling a sudden surge of fear grab his chest. "We gotta get outta here _now_ , guys."  
  
"No!" The Cardinal called out, a hand pressing over her stomach as she leaped towards the group, holding out her other hand, an orange orb dancing about in her palm while electricity crackled up her forearm. "You cannot take it! It is meant for the Archon himself!"  
  
Liam lifted his shotgun and pressed it against the center of the Cardinal's forehead, brows furrowed and anger dancing in his eyes. "Not in the mood for this right now, bitch." Her arm lowered, the electricity dimming to nothing.  
  
"Kill her! This facility needs to be _destroyed!_ " The Moshae said, grabbing Liam's arm and making a move for his gun.

 _"I detect there are multiple inbound kett ships incoming. I suggest immediate evacuation."_  
  
"No!" Jaal gasped, effectively making the angaran woman pause in her steps. The two looked at Jaal in disbelief while he looked at the Moshae with desperation dancing in his brilliant blue eyes. "We have to save our people, Moshae Sjefa! There's scientists, technicians, _families_ in here!"

Liam shot Jaal a pointed look. "We don't have time to release hundreds upon thousands of angaras right now, Jaal!" He nodded towards Kylie. "She needs medical attention stat and there's more motherfuckers coming! We'll all _die_ if we don't leave,  **now**!"  
  
"Wait! I have a proposition for you," the kett leader interrupted them, words leaving her in a rush as her eyes flickered from Liam to Jaal. "If you leave my sacred temple intact, I will release all of the chosen from the pods below."  
  
Liam looked at Jaal. "It's your call, big guy." His eyes lowered to the unconscious girl in his arms, his heart painfully wrenching at the sight, emotion tugging on his voice. "Lala's kinda tied up right now."  
  
Jaal's eyes lowered to the girl in his arms, the faintest trickle of blood coming from her nose. He wiped it away. _Shit. We do not have much time._ "...Fine." He growled, taking a step towards the kett leader. "Do it, release them now."  
  
She nodded fervently, lifting and speaking into a strange device. "Enact emergency shutdown protocols. Release all of the chosen from their pods."

"Heckt, get your team and round up as many angara as possible. We need to get out of here." Jaal spoke into their comms, already starting to move with Kylie in his arms.  _"You got it, Jaal."_  
  
An alarm boomed through the building, hissing coming from the lowers levels while they stared at each other in tense silence. "Thank you. I knew you would -" Liam didn't even hesitate, shooting not once, not twice, but as many times as possible into the Cardinal's head, snarling as she fell to the floor in a sick clump and he took off with the Moshae leaning on him for support. "Fuck off." He spat in her direction.

* * *

  
Pained, panicked voices mingled with yelling and gunfire woke her up, her eyes fluttering open and her hand patting the ground in a rush for her gun. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, aching. _Cardinal. Holy shit, the Cardinal._ Her body froze as she sat up, taking in her hazy surroundings, Jaal and Liam stationed on different ends of the area, shooting frantically. The Moshae stood beside her, her arms raised and a shield flowing around them in a steady stream. _Holy fuck._ "What did..." She cursed, forcing herself to stand up, pain searing through every inch of her body at the movement. "W-What did I miss?"

 _"Ryder,"_ Sam started in their private channel, _"do not attempt to join the fight. You are badly injured. I have managed to reduce the amount of damage caused to your nervous system from being electrocuted, but your implant has been severely damaged in the process. Your body is beyond the point of exhaustion and I would advise against using your gun. Any use of your biotics may permanently damage your brain."_  
  
Liam's head snapped to her direction at the sound of her voice, relief flooding his face while he grabbed her shoulder to gently lower her to a crouch with one hand while he looked her over. "You're awake? Holy shit." He murmured in disbelief, glancing from her to the enemies he shot wildly at. "Go sit down, Lala. You're injured. We've got this, don't worry."  
  
_"ETA one minute out."_ The pilot chirped through their comms.  
  
Her biotics attempted to flare to life, only for her to wince and press her hands against her head, the worst jab of a migraine flaring in her head, striking right behind her eyes. " _Fuck_." Her eyes opened and were greeted with the sight of a Fiend coming around the bend, panic seizing in her lungs. "Holy shit," she breathed, hands pressing into fists at her side. Her mind raced with thoughts, her eyes darting from Liam to Jaal, feeling her heart squeeze painfully before she decided, _yes, this is for the best._  She willed herself to muster up her last bit of energy and with a loud, strangled, painful yell, she charged right at the Fiend, biotics crackling and sparking in unsteady streams around her.  
  
"Lala! What the fuck?!"  
  
The Fiend came crashing down in one go, it's body falling limp. Kylie immediately fell to her knees, too weak to hold herself up anymore. Her brain pulsed, the worst shot of pain surging through her body. She willed herself to roll onto her side behind a metal crate nearby to shield herself from the gunfire all around her, laying there for a minute while a string of weak, uneven curses fell through her. Her body felt hard and heavy, starting to feel her limbs fall limp again, her head burning while her eyes fluttered shut against the pulsing.  
  
_"You should not have done that, Kylie."_ Fuck, his voice _hurt_.  
  
"S-Shut up, Sam."  _Fuck, shit,_ even hearing her own voice  _hurt._  
  
_"You have exerted too much energy. Your body cannot compensate the difference right now."_  
  
"Kylie!" Jaal's worried voice boomed loudly, his hands desperately grabbing her shoulders. "Stay with me, Kylie!" He panicked as he knelt down to lean over her, setting his gun aside. One hand came to rest on her head and the other fell to her stomach, the gentle hum of his bioelectricity trickling through her. The sight of him and his voice started to gradually fade, the surroundings and the gunfire growing hazy and cloudy.

_"Kylie!"_


	7. fire in your new shoes

"Jaal, you should go get some rest." Lexi's smooth voice woke him from his near-trance, his sullen, bloodshot eyes darting up from Kylie's unmoving body to look at the asari. When he didn't respond, Lexi let out a soft sigh. "She'll still be here when you wake up, you know. I'm not letting her go for quite awhile."  
  
The steady beat of her heart from the monitor behind Kylie's bed filled the room, the smell of medigel and an all too sterile feeling filling his senses, his body relaxing. How long had he been sitting with her? He's lost track of time. A shiver ran up his spine. "No," he started, his deep voice feeling foreign from misuse, shifting in his seat to lean back, his hand falling from hers. "I'll be fine. I appreciate the concern, Lexi."  
  
Lexi gave him a knowing look and a small smile with the nod of her head, heading over to her intravenous line to refill her fluids. Not too far from them laid the Moshae in her own medbed, fast asleep after everything they had all gone through, especially considering all that Moshae Sjefa endured before her rescue. "Is Moshae Sjefa alright?" He asked after a moment, watching Lexi head over to check the Moshae's own heart monitor.  
  
"She'll be fine. Her immune system had taken quite the hit, but I believe she'll be back on her feet in no time. Nothing some rest won't take care of."  
  
He meekly nodded.  
  
The medbay doors hissed open, revealing Drack waltzing his way in. "How's my kid doing?" His deep voice asked as he pulled up another chair across from Jaal on the other side of Kylie's bed and sat down. "Still asleep?" After taking in the miserable look on Jaal's face, he looked over at Kylie laying in the bed. An oxygen tube attached to her nose, her tired eyes still shut, her hair a mess, tubes and the like scattered. She still looked like shit, her rich, umber skin dull from how much blood she lost, bright bruises scattered across her face and body. "Goddamn, it's been two days."  
  
"She's in a medically induced coma, Drack," Lexi added in as she stood by his chair, hand resting on its backrest, awfully close to his carapace. "Sam's reports of her systems were bad. She'll need as much rest as she can get. She's stubborn, like you." With the roll of her eyes and the softest push on his shoulder, she continued. "I know if she isn't in a coma, she'll never get any rest."  
  
"Kid," Drack started, nodding towards Jaal. "Go get some rest. I'll stay with her, don't worry." When Jaal didn't move and instead gave him the most heart-wrenching look, his head tilted down and his worried blue eyes wide, he sighed and leaned forward on his elbows. "You haven't left her side since you guys came back. Even Liam's gotten some sleep by now. She'll be fine, I'll watch her. Let you know if anything changes."  
  
Jaal hesitated, his hand reaching out to linger on hers. His thumb ghosted over her thumb while his eyes roamed over her injured body before he gave the small hand the softest squeeze. He took in an unsteady deep breath and stood wordlessly, shooting a fleeting glance at her before he reclutantly took off through the doors.  
  
Lexi sighed happily, wrapping her arms around Drack's shoulders once the angara left, her voice soft and sweet. "He's in love."  
  
"Yeah, no shit." His hands came up to rest over hers, the slightest smile on his face, his hearts feeling tight in the strangest way. "Wonder if the kid feels the same way."

* * *

  
It took four days of a medically induced coma before her eyes finally fluttered open, the medbay room hazy and melting together. "Kylie," Jaal gasped, his hand squeezing hers as he leaned forward and she turned her head, staring at the mess of a purple-blue splotch of blur before he finally registered, the biggest smile on his freckled face. "You're awake," he said breathlessly, lifting her hand and holding it to his forehead, a shaky, happy laugh leaving him, his bioelectricity tickling her hand.  
  
"Yeah," her throat felt full and heavy, her voice strange. She winced as she tried to sit up, struggling against the sudden pain surging through her body. He let go of her hand to gently push her back down, shaking his head. "Don't sit up."  
  
"Why?" Her voice cracked, her throat feeling suddenly dry and scratchy. She shook her head and held up a trembling hand before he could answer. "Can you get me some water?"  
  
_"Welcome back, Kylie."_ Sam's voice came to life, her head feeling like it was splitting in two. Her hands came up to grab her head, eyes squeezing shut. _"You have been in a medically induced coma for four days. Your body has recovered significantly from the kett facility, though I'll recommend you continue to rest for a few more days."_  
  
He nodded as Sam spoke, wheeling his way on Lexi's chair over to her desk to grab a bottle of water and wheeling his way back, unscrewing the cap and handing it to her. As she began to drink it, Jaal lifted his wrist, his omnitool coming to life and the comm's static buzzing. "Everyone, she's finally awake!"  
  
"How's my implant?" Her voice was hoarse as she stared down at her water bottle.  
  
_"I have managed to repair most of it to the best of my ability. Your biotics may not last as long in battle as they used to, but you will not need a new implant."_  
  
"Good."  
  
_"Holy shit,"_ Liam comm'd immediately back, the sound of footsteps echoing in the hall. _"I'm on my way, too."_ Drack buzzed in right after him, the doors hissing open and the two walking in together with Lexi hot on their heels.  
  
"Hold up," Lexi pushed her way in front of them, holding her gloved hands out to stop them in their tracks. "Don't bombard her! She's only just woken up. Give the poor girl time to adjust after being in a coma for _four days_."  
  
Kylie weakly waved at them to come in, looking over at Jaal and quirking a single black brow up. "Help me sit up?" She asked. He nodded immediately, gentle hands grabbing her shoulder and back, mindful of her bruises, helping her to sit up as carefully as possible. She hissed in pain at the movement, gritting her teeth. She felt like one giant bruise. He carefully placed a pillow behind her back, helping her adjust until she was comfortable.  
  
"How do you feel, Kylie?" Lexi asked as she approached the girl, her hands gently pressing against her jaw, watching her face as she almost recoiled from her touch, the asari's eyes glancing over her body.  
  
"Like I just took another 600-year nap."  
  
Drack laughed, loud and booming. Even _that_ hurt her head. "You kinda did, kiddo. Four days?" He whistled while Lexi took a light to her eyes, her eyes immediately squinting and watering from the pain, shaking his head while Liam laughed and scooted up a chair beside her bed across from Jaal, taking her hand.  
  
"You pull a stunt like that again, Lala, I'll kill you myself and bring your ass back to yell at you." He pressed a fleeting kiss to her knuckles, relishing the smile on her face. His breath left him in a rush of relief, the biggest smile on his face. He thought he'd never see it again. "I was worried as hell."  
  
Kylie's brows furrowed, swallowing thickly and wiping at her watery eyes. "Yeah, same here."  
  
"Why'd you do it?" Drack quirked a brow at her from the foot of her bed, his hands pressing into the white sheets causing them to bend under his weight, leaning forward on his arms while he stared down at her.  
  
"Do..." She hesitated, staring at him, confused. "Do what?"  
  
The krogan rolled his eyes, straightening and heading to grab another chair to join the little clump. "Your little suicide stunt back there on Voeld. Thought we've been over this."  
  
"No, stop." Kylie gave him a stern look, though it probably fell flat from how shitty she felt. "I figured, someone was probably gonna die there. If anyone did, figured it should've been me. Cora would've taken over. You guys would've been just fine, you'd still have your ' _Pathfinder_ '." Her fingers bitterly curled in air quotes at the last word.  
  
"No, we would not have been 'just fine'," Jaal said breathlessly, his eyes wide in disbelief while he took a hold of her free hand and squeezed it tightly, only releasing his grip when she winced in pain from the bruises across her knuckles. "We wouldn't have our favorite Ryder if you had died back on Voeld." Heavy emotion danced through his voice, causing it to waiver. "The world would feel as if a hole had been ripped into it without you here, Kylie."  
  
"What lover-boy there said." Drack humphed in agreement, nodding his head in Jaal's direction while he pulled his chair up beside Liam, falling down into it with a loud crack.  
  
Kylie shot him a puzzled look, head tilting ever so slightly and eyes narrowing. "Lover-boy?" Her brain felt hazy as she looked at Jaal all too quickly, her vision momentarily swimming. It refocused only to see him vividly flushed a deep purple, laughing nervously and looking away from her intense gaze.  
  
"Drack!" Lexi gave his shoulder a soft punch as she passed by him to her desk.  
  
Drack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right, well." He hummed, pressing a thick finger to her forehead. "Your implant good? Heard it got jostled in the fight."  
  
"Oh, no, it's terrible," she drawled, leaning her head against his finger with a lazy smirk, a swath of black curls falling over her face from her incredibly messy, loose braids. "Have five minutes to live."  
  
"Great, that's how long I've got left, too!"  
  
Lexi groaned as they high-fived, only for Kylie to yank her hand back immediately and shake it in pain, her hands going to her head from the sudden throb of pain. "Be careful with her!"

* * *

"Should be arriving at Kadara Port in about an hour, Ryder." Kallo chirped from his swivel chair on the bridge, spinning around and around, shooting her a fleeting grin that disappeared all too quick as he swung back around to his controls.  
  
"You're so cute, Kallo!" Suvi beamed, hands clasping in front of her. "Aw, jeez." His face flushed. "Thanks." Kallo waved a dismissing hand at her, all bashful smiles and shrugs.  
  
Kylie groaned. "I can't believe you guys talked to Evfra without me. Are you kidding me? You're kidding me, right?" Her crossed her arms over her chest, an adorable pout on her face as she stood in front of Jaal and Liam on the bridge. "Couldn't even wait for your damn Pathfinder to wake up from her coma."  
  
Jaal reached out to muss up her hair, a grin tugging at his lips while Liam laughed at her adorable face. He admired the way her loose curly hair felt in his fingers. It's not often she wears her hair down from her braids and when she does, Jaal is always _fascinated_ beyond belief. 

"Yes, well." Jaal hummed, leaning down towards her, a smirk dancing on his face. "You were taking your sweet time waking up, Ryder."  
  
She slapped his big hands away, the ghost of a nasty blue bruise darting across her knuckles a reminder of where she'd been a week ago. "It was four days! Not a week! Not a month! Not 600 years!"  
  
Her arms fell limply to her sides while she let out a frustrated groan, turning on her heel to head down the ladder to the cargo room to suit up, the other two following. "Whatever. What's our contact's name?"  
  
"Shena."  
  
She paused, biting her full bottom lip in thought. "Wow. Weird. Girl, boy, or neither?"  
  
"Dunno." Jaal slid down the ladder after her, very nearly landing on her and earning a curse from her. He held up his splayed hands. "Sorry!"  
  
"'Kay. Human or alien?" Kylie rolled her eyes, taking off down the hallway.   
  
"Dunno," Liam answered, linking his arm with hers as their steps began to swing wide from side to side down the hallway.  
  
Kylie rolled her eyes. "Wow. You guys were thorough in your investigation."  
  
"Shut up." Liam shot her a playful look, gently squeezing her arm that was linked with his, careful not to squeeze any bruises. "We did our best without our beloved Pathfinder there to throw a shit ton of curses at him to weasel information outta him."  
  
"Weasel information?" Jaal started behind them, his big arms snaking around the two's shoulders, his chin landing between their two heads as he squeezed them together, eliciting a collective giggle from them.  
  
Liam grinned up at him. "Idiom."  
  
_"Shit."_

* * *

  
_"No heavy fighting still, Ryder."_ Lexi chirped in through their comms as Kylie made her way to Kralla's song, wincing in pain at the sudden jolt of pain in her head from the loud music booming from the club, her stomach twisting from the ground shaking. _"You're still not fully recovered. Bare minimum of shooting from behind actual cover, not crates, and **no biotics**."_ Even through the comms, she could feel Lexi's finger wagging as she spoke.  
  
"Yes, Mom." She sighed back as the doors hissed open, her whole being bombarded by the pulsing music and the loud chatter from various clubbers. "Holy shit." Her eyes squeezed shut from the pain searing in her head as she stepped inside, willing her migraine away and forcing herself to continue as she pried her eyes open. _Focus, Kylie._ Been awhile since she's last been inside a bar, her anxiety bubbling up inside of her, fear momentarily seizing her chest.  
  
Drack was leaning against a wall when he caught her in his sights, a grin dancing across his face. "Hey, kid!" He called her over with the wave of his hand. "What you doin' here?"  
  
"What are _you_ doing here?" She quipped back, a breath leaving her and relief dancing through her veins knowing that he was here. Nothing would happen with him here, that's for sure. She shot a look from him to the glass in his hand then right back to his face. "Finished with Vetra already?"  
  
He laughed. "Yeah, it was a quick in-and-out kinda deal. All done. Now, I'm relaxing." He leaned back against the wall, taking a swig of his drink while his hand slid into his belt. "You didn't answer my question."  
  
"I'm meeting that Shena person." She nodded, starting to turn away from him and heading to the side of the bar with a wide window that overlooked the vast expanse of Kadara, all beautiful and breathtaking in its own way.  
  
Jaal stood not too far from her position, him leaning back against the railing closest to the corner of the bar, the briefest hint of discomfort on him before he noticed Kylie, the biggest smile dancing across his face at the sight of her. "Kylie," he called out after a moment, catching her attention. She shuffled her way over to him, his hand reaching out for a split second before he simply let it fall. "Have you met your contact yet?"  
  
"No, not yet. Still waitin' on them to show up." She paused. "If they even will." A shrug came from her as she turned on her heels, giving him a little wave before she returned to her spot by the bar right in front of the window.  
  
Kylie admired the view for a few minutes before she opted to lean against the metal counter of the bar, looking out through the vast majority of the club at the various people there. A lot of angara were there. _Wonder if one of them is our person._ It's gotta be an angaran, right? Has to be. Evfra hates Initiative species too much.  
  
Her focus was pulled from her hyper-fixated glaring at one angaran by the most delicious, warmly accented voice. "You look like you're waiting for someone." Her body froze for a split second before she forced herself to relax, looking over to the source of the purring voice, only for her body to seize up again and her blue eyes to widen just a hair. _Holy fuck, he's hot._  
  
The tanned man smirked down at her, leaning over his arms on the bar while he motioned with one hand for the asari bartender to get them some drinks. _He's goddamn tall. No, Kylie, you're goddamn short._  His black hair was formed into a perfectly messy coif, his whiskey eyes catching the bar's light in the most delicious way. Kylie's breath caught in her throat, her knees suddenly feeling weak.  
  
"Maybe I am," she started, a slow, toothy, lazy grin spreading across her face. A small hand came up to run through her loose, tightly curled black hair, her icy eyes darting up and down his body.  
  
Jaal's heart seized in his chest as he observed the two from his spot in the corner, his eyes narrowing as the man leaned even closer to Ryder and offered her a drink in one smooth motion, a strange feeling dancing through his veins that made him feel weak and angry all at the same time. _What?_  
  
She took it without hesitation, their arms crossing. The two of them immediately downed the contents, Reyes whistling in appreciation as he sat his cup down. Her throat burned for the briefest second, resisting the urge to cough from the whiskey in her throat while she slammed her cup back on the bar top. "So, you're Shena, huh?"  
  
"Ah," he deliciously hummed while they uncrossed their arms, his opting to rest on the bar as he leaned even closer to her person, his face awfully close to hers. Her hands stuffed themselves into her thin, loose black jacket's pockets, her white shirt ruffling in the process. "Call me Reyes. I _hate_ code names."  
  
"Rey-es." Kylie tried his name slowly, drawing it out as if tasting it on her tongue, before nodding her head. She hastily moved her hand out of her pocket to hold it out to him. "Kylie."  
  
He took it without hesitation, his grip firm and steady as he gave it a quick shake. _He's super warm._ _And super solid. Relax, Kylie._ Her eyes trailed down to their hands, his fingers holding onto hers for a moment too long. His whiskey eyes flickered to the bruises on her knuckles, taking her hand and raising it, his dark eyebrow quirking up.  
  
"Nasty battle I was in awhile ago." She grinned. "Y'know, the usual."  
  
He simply nodded, tilting his head towards the window when finally he released her hand and made his way over there, her nearly fumbling in her steps to follow after him, all too eager.  
  
"Your man, Vehn Terev, is locked up in Sloane's jail." Reyes started after a second, hands folding together over the railing as he leaned over it. "And Sloane?" He glanced at her, finally really taking her appearance in for a moment. "Huh," he paused, admiring the contrast between her icy blue eyes and her umber skin, turning to face her. "Now that I think about it," he pointed his finger at her, lightly poking her nose. " _You_ look like Sloane."  
  
"What, for real?" Shock registered on her face for a second, head tilting in surprise while she batted his hand away from her face.   
  
His laugh was effortless and airy, her heart fluttering uselessly in her chest. "Yes, almost like a younger version of her."  
  
"...Is that a compliment or an insult?"  
  
Their laughter flitted through the club, nearly drowned out by the booming music, her hand coming up to her mouth to cover the big, goofy smile on her face. "Anyways," he started after he composed himself, a grin on his face and a chuckle ghosting across his words. "She's a woman of the people, and the people want him _dead_."  
  
Kylie looked momentarily confused, utterly forgetting why she was even there in the first place before she remembered the conversation Jaal and Liam had with her back on the Tempest. _Right_. "Great," she started, smirking as she leaned her back against the railing, hands coming out of her jacket's pockets to cross over her chest as she propped a foot against the railing. "Sounds like my kinda woman."  
  
His laugh was deliciously rich and warm. "She doesn't like you."  _Ouch._  
  
"Uh, she hasn't even met me yet." She rolled her eyes. "Alotta people are that way at first with me. I'm an _acquired_ taste."  
  
"I'll say," he purred, his golden eyes visibly roaming up and down her body. _Holy fuck._  He cleared his throat, composing himself. "Anyways," he looked back out at Kadara, taking in a deep breath to steady himself. "If you think you can charm Sloane enough to snatch the key right out from under her nose, be my guest." 

He lazily grinned as he leaned towards her, his hand coming to rest against her lower back as he leaned down even further, his warm breath ghosting across her ear with the faintest hint of whiskey dancing in it. "If you find you can't do it alone, however," a shiver ran down her spine as his voice purred into her ear, her hand coming up to press against his soft chest, her icy eyes wide in surprise from how close he was. _Holy fucking shit._  "Come find me."

As he started to walk away, Kylie managed to bring herself back to reality enough to call out to him. "Where the fuck do I find you if things go south?"  
  
He glanced at her from over his shoulder and winked.  
  
"That doesn't help!" She threw her arms out in exasperation, her brows furrowing in irritation.  
  
He winked again, turning away. _Guess I wink at a fucking wall and it summons him._  
  
Jaal had started to pace in his corner as he watched the two of them talk, his breath caught in his chest and his heart thumping heavily. _Is... Is she interested in him? The way they were looking at each other, the way his eyes openly roamed over her - No. This can't be true._ His breathing entirely stopped when her hand came up to rest on the man's chest and Jaal nearly felt himself faint, his legs feeling weak and wobbly. _I've got to leave._ He swallowed thickly, making a move to leave only for Drack to stop him in his tracks once he neared the steps.  
  
The krogan grabbed his shoulder, tugging him over to his spot near one of the tables. "Hey, I know what you're thinkin', lover-boy. That's just flirting. It's not serious, trust me."  
  
Jaal sighed deeply, his bright eyes wearily focused on the ground, his shoulders sagging in near-defeat. "Are you sure?" He hesitated, not wanting to even think about what had just happened. The thought of them together made him nauseous, his stomach uselessly twisting about. "She seemed very... _Eager_ to do just that."  
  
"She was caught off-guard, Jaal." Drack tilted his head, nodding over at the girl. They glanced over and saw her watching as Reyes left, her eyes wide and her hand hovering in the air. Jaal let out a near-strangled noise, immediately looking away. "You could see it on her face. Probably didn't want to lose her composure in front of him, so she flirted back. Easy."  
  
"Hmm, yes," he grumbled, his foot toying with the table's leg, unable to meet Drack's eyes. "That is easy for you to say, Drack."  
  
Drack's hands grabbed the angara's arms, forcing him to look up at him. His expression _hurt_ , the poor kid looking like a kicked puppy, his blue eyes wide and sad and his lip nearly quivering. _Shit, this feels all too familiar._  "Kid," Drack sighed, "just 'cause they're flirting doesn't mean they're dating. Don't know what Angaran dating is like, but our kind _loves_ to flirt for fun."  
  
His eyes snapped up as Reyes began to pass them, Kylie looking on all wonder-eyed. Drack shot the man a bone-chilling look, his head tilting down and his dangerous eyes digging into Reyes' golden ones. Jaal looked over his shoulder to join him, danger radiating in his deep galaxy-like eyes, a threat lingering in them.  
  
The look Reyes gave them was priceless, his eyes widening for a split second before his composure came back and he quickened his steps up the stairs.


	8. small doses

"Princess Kadara," Kylie drawled as she bowed dramatically, her head lowering in a flourish and her arms bending, her curly hair bouncing everywhere from her movement. Sloane's indignant scoff echoed through her 'throne room' as her guards used the butt of their rifles to push Kylie away from Sloane's fancy seat, throwing her right to the door. "Drinks later?" She called over her shoulder.  
  
"Drinks _never_." Sloane rolled her eyes as her krogan guard shoved her through the doors, immediately shutting them behind her as soon as her ass barely went through it.  
  
"Well," Kylie sighed hard, shoulders slouching as she started to make her way out of Outcast Headquarters as quickly as possible, furiously tapping a message into her omnitool. "That went well."  
  
_"I believe well is an overstatement of how that went, Kylie."_  
  
"Ray of sunshine, Sassmaster."  
  
_"Perhaps Reyes will know what to do next."_  
  
"Yeah, if I can find his ass. Here," she stopped at the doors that led out of the building and winked at it a few times, waiting for them to hiss open so she could leave. The doors in Kadara took forever and it drove her up a wall having to wait so long. She's not a patient person. At all.  
  
As the doors finally whooshed open, her eye still closed on her face in a ridiculous wink, she came to the sight of Reyes waiting for her at a store's stall nearby, directly in the shade shielded from the hot sun and lounging against a thick metal pole. "Oh, it worked. Sweet. Guess he wasn't lying." She bit back a smirk as she approached him, shoving her hands in her black jacket's pockets.  
  
"So, have a nice chat?" Reyes asked once she neared him, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, amusement twinkling in his golden eyes.  
  
"Oh, just lovely." Kylie grinned at him, leaning against the pole he was also propped up against, her foot pressing up against the side of his. "She absolutely _loves_ me."  
  
"Oh?" He purred, pushing a clump of black curls away from her face, his tan fingers lingering near her temple before he pulled his hand away reluctantly. "So you don't need my help, then?"  
  
She whined, throwing her head back against the metal pole, ignoring the way her eyes rolled back into her head from just how much that _hurt_. "Yeah, I do." Her body slouched as she admitted in defeat, looking at him from the corner of her blue eyes, a huff escaping her. "You got a way into that jail?"  
  
The warm laugh that came from him at her admitted defeat made her toes feel numb. He straightened up to reach into a pouch attached to his belt, acquiring a small vial of a strange green substance that almost seemed to glow in its container. As he handed her the vial, his fingers brushed against hers, hesitating to pull back. "This will eat through the metal keeping our man prisoner." At the quirk of her brow, he added. "Don't worry, it can't be traced back to us."  
  
"Uh," she hesitated as she took it as carefully as possible, partially worried she was going to drop it on her foot and probably die from it. That's how her luck usually goes. "And you're sure this will work? Where do I even take him next?"  
  
Reyes grinned, taking a step towards her as she pushed away from the pole. "A Resistance contact will meet him outside of the Port. All of our work is done for us already, Ryder. You just gotta work your magic on Vehn." His hand landed on her waist, his whiskey eyes meeting hers.  
  
She wiggled her fingers sarcastically, giving his chest a gentle push away. "Yeah, my magic."  
  
He chuckled, shaking his head as he took a step back. "There's a maintenance shaft around this corner. I'll send the access code to your omnitool," he started as he lifted his wrist and began to type into his omnitool. "That should get you inside."  
  
"Okay, Mr. Smooth," Kylie started, rounding him and dragging her hand across his stomach, smooth and soft and lovely, even through his weird-ass armor. "There's still the matter of the bill you left me with at Kralla's. That is _not_ what a 'perfect gentleman' does."  
  
Reyes smirked, slightly turning towards her. "I'm _usually_ the perfect model of a gentleman." His hand landed over hers, holding it there against him. Her heart raced wildly in her chest, hoping to a god that he couldn't feel her nerves on edge. "Tell you what," he started, his thumb tracing a circle over hers, a tingle dancing through her nerves, "meet me at Tartarus when you're done. Drinks will be on me." He purred, "I promise."  
  
"Hmm," she hummed in thought, pretending to mull over the very idea before she lazily grinned. "Deal." She gave him a thumbs up as she pulled her hand away from him and started to leave.

* * *

"'Kay, Sam, anyone up here?" Kylie whispered as she hefted herself up from the maintenance shaft into the stockroom it led right into, careful not to make too much noise.  
  
_"I do not detect any immediate heat signatures. It is safe to enter the room."_  
  
"Sweet, thanks, Sassmaster." She lifted her wrist and opened the door with her omnitool, peering into it before she fully entered the jail room. "Vehn Terev?" Her voice was above a whisper, scanning the room before it landed on a faintly light blue angaran male hunched over on a cot, his head buried in his hands.  
  
He growled at her voice, looking at her from the corner of his eyes. "What do you want?" His words were muffled into his hands, irritation dancing through his tone.  
  
Kylie held up her hands, confused by his sudden hostility. "Chill out, Vehn. I'm just here to find where the Archon's ship is."  
  
Vehn's brows furrowed, throwing his hands up in the air as he stood and paced away from the cot. "This some kinda new interrogation tactic? Pretending to be my friend? You're getting lazy, Sloane."  
  
Her brows shot straight up, shock dancing on her face, her jaw falling open. "Uh," she started, uncertain exactly how to deal with this. "Oh." She took in a deep breath. "You're mistaken, dude. I'm not Sloane."  
  
He finally turned around to look at her. His hard eyes roamed up and down her body, silent as he stared at her for what felt like a long time, his brows slowly furrowing and a frustrated noise escaping him. "...Then who are you? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm Kylie. Evfra sent me. If you answer my questions, I'll get your ass back to the resistance."  
  
Vehn scoffed, waving his hand at her dismissively. "So, I'll just be trading one cell for another."  
  
Kylie took a step closer to the bars, crossing her arms over her chest. "Vehn, you betrayed the _Moshae_." Her head tilted at him. "The fucking Moshae. You're lucky Evfra even wants you back _at all._ " Her brows furrowed, a hand gesturing as she spoke. "Either you answer my questions or I'll just leave you here so you can rot with your head on a spike."  
  
When he hesitated to answer, she shrugged, deciding his silence was his answer and started to walk away. "Wait!" The bars desperately clattered as he grabbed at them, reaching out with his hand to grab her elbow, making her pause in her steps. "Wait! _Please_ , I'll talk."  
  
A cocky grin spread across her face, her back still turned to him. She idly glanced at her nails, a soft hum in her throat. "Go ahead."  
  
"I... I didn't see the Archon in person. I got my orders from a kett transponder, buried it in the Badlands before I got picked up. You could probably use the frequency to triangulate the Archon's location."  
  
She nodded her head, fishing the vial from her belt. "Sweet. That wasn't so hard, was it? Here," she turned and handed him the eerily glowing liquid Reyes handed her earlier. "Use this. There's a maintenance shaft around the corner, a Resistance contact will be waiting to pick you up outside the Port."  
  
When his hand never left her arm, his eyes staring at the strange liquid in her hands, she pulled against his hand, trying to get him to let go. He did not. "...Don't you want to hear why I did it?"  
  
Kylie paused, glancing down at his hand latched to her elbow. Looks like she doesn't really have a say in it, does she? She sighed. "I'm all ears. Why'd you do it, Vehn?"  
  
"We're losing the war against the kett." Her breath caught in her chest, turning her head to look at him. The emotion in his eyes was nearly overwhelming. "But still, Evfra puts _my_ brothers and sisters in danger to protect a useless old woman!" His hands rattled against the bar as he yelled, a shaky breath leaving him. "I made the call he refused to. The Archon only wanted the Moshae, figured if I gave her over..."  
  
"Wow," she sighed. "Did you know about the exaltation shit before you did it?"

"No. If I knew..." He shook his head. "I guess it doesn't matter now."  
  
"It doesn't make what you did right, but I see where you're coming from. The Archon gets off on manipulating people, Vehn."  
  
"I did what I thought was right. Might as well accept the consequences for it." He bitterly took the vial from her hands, walking away from her.

* * *

The booming music from Tartarus was just as jarring as Kralla's, except the songs played here were rougher, harder, the ground jolting every few seconds from the intensity of the heavy beats. Liam's hand was on her low back to steady her as they made their way up the metal steps, Jaal not too far behind them. "How you feelin', Lala?"  
  
She looked at the brunette and gave him a weary smile, gently poking a finger against her head, right over where a migraine was starting to form. Her eyes felt taut and tired. "Tired. I'll live."  
  
Liam nodded his head as he gently rubbed her back, lifting his wrist to open the doors to the club. The music came out in a rush from the doors as they hissed open, the intensity growing louder. Kylie reached up to grab her head for a second before she steadied herself. "Remind me never to come here after jostling my implant, Lola."  
  
He laughed, the sound barely audible over the music. "You got it, Lala."  
  
Jaal picked up his pace, following directly behind the two as they made their way inside. His eyes carefully scanned the red-lit room, taking in the various patrons all clumped together, grinding and yelling at each other over the music. He cleared his throat, his hand reaching out to trace a gentle line down Kylie's back. "Why are we here, anyways?"  
  
She glanced back at him, shooting him a smile. "I have to talk to Reyes about some murders. Thought he'd also like to know about what happened with Vehn, too."  
  
His blood froze cold at the mention of that man's _damned_ name and he barely managed to grind out a nod, his eyes glossing over as he steeled himself for what's to come. The girl gave him a worried look, reaching out to tap his shoulder. "You good, Jaal?"  
  
"I'm _fine_." It came out harsher than he intended and he shook his head, gently grabbing her hand and lacing her fingers with his. "I'm alright, Ryder. I believe I am just..." He hesitated, searching for an excuse. "Tired, as well. It has been a long day."  
  
"I'll say." She nodded her head as they approached what they assumed to be his room, her lifting her omnitool to pull up her private comm channel with Reyes. "Hey, Mr. Smooth," Jaal took in a sharp breath at the nickname, "up for some visitors?"  
  
_"For you? Always."_  
  
The doors hissed open to reveal Reyes lounging casually on one of his many couches, the table in front of him littered with many, many bottles of liquor. A lazy smile danced on his face while his head rested against his fist, looking like the perfect example of relaxed. His breath caught in his chest at the sight of her clad in her black armor, her long, black, curly hair pulled into tight twin braids that fell long over both shoulders. "Welcome to my humble business office."  
  
"Cozy. I like it." She quipped as she made herself at home, instantly relaxing onto the couch right next to him while Liam took to distracting Jaal with the bottles of liquor to help him relax, the tension radiating off of his entire being.  
  
As Kylie and Reyes spoke, her laughter bubbling up behind them and Jaal's body growing more and more tense by the moment, Liam grabbed Jaal's hand, making him look right at him. "Hey," his voice was a whisper, just enough for him to hear, "you good, big guy? I know how you feel about Kylie."  
  
The angara shook his head, letting out a mix of an irritated sigh and a grumble. "I do not wish to talk about this right now, Liam." His brows furrowed, taking his hand away from his and crossing his arms over his broad chest, taking a few idle steps around the table to glance at a bottle, pretending to look intrigued.  
  
"I'm here for you when you wanna, man."  
  
He cleared his throat, picking up a bottle of whiskey to focus his attention on. "Thanks."  
  
"Really?" Kylie asked behind them, incredulous eyes wide at Reyes. "You think it was the Roekaar? Are you sure? It was an angara that was murdered, Reyes."  
  
"There's proof he openly supported the Milky Way species. All theories lead to this: Those killed all openly supported or were Milky Way species."  
  
"Huh. Okay."  
  
"So, I need that fancy AI of yours to scan the murder scene." He tapped her forehead, a grin dancing across his face.  
  
Her hands slapped his hand away then twisted in the air. "My fancy AI? What about _me_?" She pointed at herself and pouted, all adorable and cute.  
  
The laugh she got from him was warm and rich and lovely. "Your AI is important." His finger poked at her forehead again. "You, though? _You're_ a bonus."  
  
She giggled, giving his shoulder a push. "Aw, Reyes." She bit her bottom lip, her eyes glancing from his lips to his eyes. "You sure know how to make a girl feel wanted, Reyes."  
  
He hummed as he reached the hand that pushed him, a lazy smirk on his face. "Of course I do, I'm a _perfect_ gentleman."  
  
"A _perfect_ gentleman, huh?"  
  
"You're not alone here, you know." Jaal's deep voice started from across the table, the big man looking at them with the most irritated expression, his brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed, looking utterly done with everything and anything involving them. Drack wasn't here to calm him down this time.  
  
Reyes retracted his hand at the angaran man's statement, shooting her a longing look before he finally stood up, offering her his hand to help her up. "I suppose I should let you and your team get back to business, yes?"  
  
She sighed wistfully, "I suppose so."  
  
"Before you go," Reyes started, their hands still laced together long after he had helped her stand up, the warmth radiating off of him almost overwhelming. "You should probably know, Ryder, you're not liked all that much in Kadara."  
  
"Ouch." Kylie yanked her hand away from him, a dramatic look of hurt flashing on her face.  
  
He rolled his eyes. "What I'm saying is: You need a friend on the inside, someone helping you and guiding you through dirty Kadara. I can be that man."  
  
Her head tilted, mischief dancing in her eyes. "But I thought you were already my man?"  
  
A lazy grin spread across his face, his body leaning towards hers as he brought her hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to her bruised knuckles. "Oh, I am."  
  
Jaal furiously stormed out of the room by the time the two had finished ogling each other, Liam hot on his heels while Kylie trailed far behind them, the girl struggling to keep up with the much taller men and their long legs.  
  
"Jaal," she huffed when she finally caught up to him a few steps out from the bar, breathless as she grabbed his wrist to get him to stop, her black brows furrowed in confusion. "What's gotten into you?"  
  
"What's gotten into _you_?" He hissed at her, the noise almost akin to a cat, pressing a thick finger to her chest. His heart hurt at the way she stepped back from him. "You're flirting with a criminal, a _smuggler_ , Kylie! He could be using you for your title to benefit him!" His hands gestured violently as he spoke, his body trembling with an emotion he wasn't sure he liked.  
  
Her hands came up in defense. "Dude, you're way too heated right now. We're just kidding around with each other."  
  
"Kidding around or not, I do not like the way he looks at you." He stepped towards her, his eyes wide, his hands reaching for hers. "He's _dangerous_ , Kylie."  
  
"I'm _just_ as dangerous, if not more, Jaal." Her hands squeezed his. "I have biotics, not to mention I'm the fucking Pathfinder."  
  
"Biotics that you can't use right now! You're injured," he breathed, bringing her hands up to his chest, worry dancing in his wide blue eyes. "I do not want you getting hurt by this _criminal_."  
  
Her smile made his heart hurt, his knees feel weak. "I'll be fine, Jaal. I promise. I'm a smart cookie."  
  
His brows furrowed. "Smart cookie?" He sighed, a breathless chuckle leaving him as he shook his head. "I'm very tired of all of these idioms." He pulled her into a hug, a sigh escaping him as he relaxed into her touch as her arms melted around his shoulders, his arms tightly wound around her small waist. "I apologize for my explosion."  
  
"You're good, Jaal. Just lookin' out for me. I appreciate it."

* * *

With the monoliths dealt with, much to Kylie's joy at that, and Kadara's water finally starting to purify itself from the inside-out, she was able to get started on an outpost on Kadara. Only, Sloane hates her guts and she wasn't sure where she was supposed to go from there. _Fuck_. Despite that, her and Reyes had managed to figure out where the murders had led to, an abandoned station up in a mountain off to the far side of the Badlands.  
  
_"Here's that Roekaar hideout."_ Kylie's voice beamed through their comms, the Nomad shakily making its way up the mountain path to the hideout. _"Don't see Reyes' shuttle here, though."_ Disappointment made its way into her words, a small sigh leaving her.  
  
The vehicle's doors hissed up and she tumbled out of the vehicle only to fall flat on her face, dirt flying up from her landing. "Fuck," she breathed as Drack pulled her up from the ground, quickly brushing the dirt off of her armor. "We really need something to help the short people in our group to get outta that."  
  
Drack's laugh made her jump, his hand pressing against her back to usher her along. "Not everyone's as short as you, kid."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Ryder..." Jaal grumbled from her side, shooting her an all-knowing look. "What did I tell you about Reyes? He's using you. This could be a _trap_."  
  
A small hand came up to shut him right up in his tracks. "Okay, before we jump to conclusions, Mr. Know-It-All," she rolled her eyes while he crossed his arms and pouted at the name, "let's actually go inside the place."  
  
They cautiously approached the run-down station, her eyes glancing around the outside of the place, curiosity running deep in her veins. The building was partially built into the side of the mountain, the only exposed part of it it's front doors. "Not creepy at all," she mumbled as she tapped into her omnitool to open the doors.  
  
The doors slid open and, much to her surprise, there was still no sight of Reyes. Kylie sighed, taking a few steps into the place and looking around. She crouched down, glancing around at the bottom half before she popped back up. "Sure he's not just hidden somewhere?" She looked hopefully at Drack who simply shook his head.  
  
"Not sure what to tell you, kid. Looks like your boy isn't here."  
  
"He's not 'my boy'!" A door behind her whooshed open at her indignant yell, a gun suddenly pressing against the back of her head. Her eyes shot open while her hands shot up, Drack and Jaal immediately drawing their guns and aiming it at the person behind her, her breathing halting as they stood off in a showdown, her facing them with a terrified look on her face. "Were we too loud?"  
  
"Guns down or she's dead." The man behind her said, his voice muffled by his helmet. He pushed the gun against her head hard for emphasis, her eyes rolling back into her head from the pain, her heart fluttering in her chest. "Now!"  
  
The clatter of their weapons hitting the floor echoed through the room, more of the captors surrounding them and ushering them through the door. "Farah will deal with you. We don't take kindly to _aliens_."  
  
She bit her bottom lip. Roekaar. Reyes' theory was right.  
  
The group of what she assumed to be Roekaar led them down a set of metal stairs further down into the structure, revealing a large group of angaras sparring and training, even more scattered all throughout the hideout. The group suddenly parted straight down the middle of the room, an angaran woman waltzing her way down the middle, her body relaxed and confident. _Probably Farah._  
  
Farah approached the group, a scowl on her face. "What do we have here?" She started, grabbing at her belt to reveal a knife with the traditional Roekaar saying etched into its metal. "Aliens? In my hideout?" She slowly circled them, idly twirling her knife until she stopped at Jaal, her eyes running up and down his body, her lip curling in digust. "And a supporter?" She scoffed.  
  
Kylie's entire body tensed, her fingers squeezing so tightly into fists her nails dug into her skin. She turned her head ever so slightly to glare at her, only for her captor to slam his gun against her head, not hard enough to knock her out but hard enough to hurt. Bad. She recoiled, a grunt escaping her and a hand shooting up to grab her head.

"You touch her again and I'll fucking end you, dumbass!" Drack growled loudly, snarling at the man who hurt her.  
  
"Don't touch him," she gritted through her clenched teeth, biting on her lip in an attempt to numb the pain scorching her brain and hold back the swell of tears in her eyes from how much that _fucking_ hurt.  
  
Farah slowly brought her knife up to Jaal's neck, his body tensing and her eyes narrowing dangerously as the tip pressed against his skin, a gasp escaping him from the prick. "Do you bleed the same blood as us," the knife edged further in, a trickle of purple blood slowly trickling down its metal, "or are you finally one of them?"  
  
"Don't fucking touch him!" Kylie snapped as she took a step towards her only to be kicked to the ground, the man behind her pushing his gun against her head and slamming his knee down onto her back, knocking the wind out of her in a gross gasp.  
  
"What'd I fucking say?!" Drack growled as he made a lunge for her captor. A group of angara swarmed around him, grabbing him and holding him back, his struggles futile against them. "I'll rip your fucking arms off, goddamn it!"  
  
Jaal's breath caught in his throat, his fingers twitching at his side before they curled into fists, anger and desperation itching at his body to do something. "Sister," he started, his deep voice low and his blue eyes narrowing dangerously, "do not believe as Akksul says. We can co-exist together in peace."  
  
Her knife pressed harder against his throat, a grunt coming from him as more of his deep purple blood came out. "You're one of them," she hissed, starting to move the blade, only for the knife to be shot right out of her hands, his chin getting cut open in the process.  
  
Their heads snapped up to the metal staircase. A blur of dark hair and tan skin came bolting down the staircase, a gun raised in his hands and his signature grin on his face. "Thought I wouldn't show?" His eyes shot to Kylie pinned to the ground, anger bubbling through his veins.  
  
Drack took the confusion as an opportunity to swing at his captors, immediately pulverizing the group and throwing some of them straight to the ground and off to the side before he grabbed the man pinning Kylie down, slamming his head right into his with a sickening _crack_. He pulled her up, the girl rolling away and sliding up behind a crate to grab a gun.  
  
The room erupted into a flurry of movement as an explosion went off, angara flying everywhere and guns shooting, people breaking out into fist fights. Kylie bolted from one side of the room to the other, her heart beating so loud she could barely hear. _"Jaal,"_ she started into their comms, panic etched in her voice, _"are you good? I saw your neck get cut. Bad."_  
  
_"I'm fine."_ He replied, shooting a fleeting glance over his shoulder in an attempt to find her. _"Are you?"_  
  
_"Bruise on my head, no doubt. I'm chill, though."_ She rolled across the room to another place of cover, gunfire following her the entire way. _"Maybe also a bruise on my back, but whatever."_ Another sharpshooter fell.  
  
His laugh flitted through the comms, a sudden flurry of movement happening in the corner of her vision, her eyes flickering over to spot a flash of blue. _"I'm glad you are 'chill', then."_  
  
She giggled.  
  
His back bumped into hers, the two turning at each other with their guns raised and eyes wide before they erupted into laughter. He fell against her, pulling her down behind nearby crates and covering her with his wide body, legs hooking under hers from how his were naturally awkwardly shaped, aiming over the top of their cover and taking out a Roekaar stationed on the metal stairs.  
  
"Hey! Get off me!" She managed through giggles, uselessly pushing at his chest. He hummed in thought, the noise rumbling deep in his chest while he aimed at another sharpshooter before the man's head was shot clean off. _He's a damn good aim._ "Mmm, no."  
  
Kylie gasped at his indignant response, offended. "Jaal!" She punched his shoulder, wiggling around until she popped up from under him, his chin resting on her head as she started to aim at more enemies, her gun squished mostly against the crate and their bodies. "Compromise."  
  
"Fine." A shit-eating grin tugged at his lips, pressing his chin down until only her eyes were visible from over the crate, her gun disappearing.  
  
"God, I hate you. You make my job _so hard_."  
  
He laughed, loud and booming and warm, the feeling reverberating from his chest into her back. A deep flush danced across her cheeks as she realized just how close they were right now. _He's literally laying on you, Kylie. No shit._  
  
"I do believe I remember hearing Lexi tell you no heavy fighting," he mumbled, allowing his weight to fall more onto her. The girl was slowly being pushed back down behind the crates until her eyes finally disappeared below the box, a muffled scoff sounding from behind it.  
  
"I'm literally laying on the floor with a sniper rifle, Jaal. Not sure what else you want me to do here unless you wanna get your big ass off of me."  
  
His body shook from the recoil of his sniper rifle as he took out another Roekaar, his stomach taut against her back and immediately distracting her. _Damn._ He shifted ever-so-slightly, squishing her down even more. "My 'big ass' is very comfortable right now, actually. You're very warm."  
  
"I _hate_ you."  
  
As the last enemy fell she fully expected him to make a move to stand, getting ready to stand up and grab her gun, only for him to wiggle around until he got _even more_ comfortable in his position on her, resting his gun on the crate. "I do believe I'll stay here for awhile, let the others check further in for more Roekaar." He purred, resting his head on his hands, elbows propped on the crate.  
  
"Jaal." He ignored the girl below him, starting to hum an old Angaran song that popped into his mind. "Uh, Jaal." Still no answer, his humming growing even louder over her calls, drowning her out. "Jaal Ama Darav!" She all but screamed his name and punched his shoulder, positively seething beneath him.  
  
He peeped down at her with a quirked brow, the girl a little ball of anger. His eyes twinkled with mischief and he shot her his signature shit-eating grin. "Yes, my dear Kylie?"  
  
She ignored the way her cheeks heated up at the sudden nickname. _Where is this all coming from? He's gonna be the end of my ass one day._ "Get off me."  
  
"Ah, no." She punched his chest and muffled her frustrated scream into his body. His arms twisted until they wrapped around her waist, suddenly hugging her tight against him. "I'm very comfortable right now."  
  
"Off."  
  
"No." He nuzzled his head against hers, pressing his nose against her braids and taking in a deep breath. _Stars, she smells wonderful. A mix of sweat and the smell of coconut and vanilla mingling together._ He made a mental note to look up where to acquire those items, later.  
  
A sigh escaped her before she could help it. She slightly tilted her head into his touch, swallowing thickly before she grounded herself and shot him a mean glare. Her heart fluttered. "Off!"  
  
"Oh, no." He smirked into her hair, his fingers slightly shifting to knead the muscle in her lower back, eliciting a soft gasp from her at his touch. His smirk grew even more at the little noise.  
  
"I swear to God, if you don't get your ass off of me right now, I'm gonna send us both flying with my biotics."  
  
"Oh?" He pulled back just slightly to look at her, his bright eyes heavily-lidded, a strange emotion dancing through them that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "Only, you can't. No biotics allowed, still."  
  
She groaned, loudly, tugging her hands free from his chest and sliding them down her face. Hands suddenly encircled her wrists, gently pulling them away from her face, her icy eyes fluttering to focus on him. She gasped softly, barely audible, the look on his face almost too much - So gentle and sweet, chin tilted slightly down, his mouth agape, his galaxy eyes so big and beautiful, the gorgeous color barely visible from how wide his black pupils were.  
  
"I enjoy you."  
  
Her breath hitched at his voice, so deep and lovely, her body freezing. "Uh," words left her, her cold eyes wide and searching his, the emotion on his face making her heart skip beats and her stomach twist dangerously. "Really?" She laughed breathlessly, the sound a whisper against her words.  
  
"Alright you two," Drack kicked the crate aside, revealing the two curled up in a pile on the floor. Jaal was straddling her, his hands pinning her wrists to the cave's floor and Kylie lying beneath him, her eyes wide and her face viciously flushed. Reyes stood not too far behind Drack, holstering his gun while his eyes traveled from Jaal to Kylie, a strange look dancing in them for the briefest moment before he turned away, pretending to take his attention elsewhere. "Break it up, no time for a quick shag right now."  
  
Kylie's face _burned_. She was _horrified_. No, _mortified_. Her face felt like it was very nearly going numb from how embarrassed she was. She was so caught up in her mortification that she missed the big grin on Drack's face as he watched them fumble to get up. Her feet moved before her brain told them to and she stood up, pulling Jaal along with her as she sheepishly muttered an apology, tripping over her words, her heart uselessly stuttering. _What just happened?_  
  
"You good, kid? Look like you saw a ghost." Drack mercilessly teased her, giving her back a hard pat, jostling her forward. She shook her head fervently as she steadied herself, bending over to grab her gun from the ground and holstered it, starting to take off towards the back of the cave before she could mutter anything else embarrassing. Her eyes chanced a glance back at Jaal, the angara looking sheepish as hell as his hand rubbed the back of his neck, a purple flush dancing under his neck. _He's blushing? Holy shit._  
  
"I'm... I'm gonna go search for any clues." Kylie managed to call over her shoulder as she disappeared around the corner, footsteps echoing after her. A few seconds passed before Reyes appeared at her side, a smirk tugging at his lips already. "Care for company, Ryder?"  
  
She shrugged in response, kicking over a stone, holding up her scanner at various parts of the walls in an attempt to seem busy. She could feel Reyes' golden eyes staring at her, her movements fumbling and feeling awkward under his heavy gaze. "Are you two together?" He asked after a painfully drawn out minute, the sound of him shuffling around echoing through the walls.  
  
"No," Kylie managed after a second, her throat feeling full. Her mind attempted to process what Jaal had meant, her stomach twisting and kneading and making her feel sick. "I mean, I don't know. I'm not entirely sure what just happened. I dunno, Reyes." His chuckle made her heart flutter, her emotions suddenly feeling very conflicted. "It's complicated, I guess." She tripped over something wedged into the ground. "Oh," she bent over to dig it out. She pulled out a datapad, waving it at Reyes. "Lookit."  
  
He snatched it from her hands, his eyes skimming over it before a grin spread across his face. "Nice find, Ryder. Evidence they killed those people." He sighed, "though, I wish it didn't end this way."  
  
"I know. Can't believe they managed to kill so many people before someone finally stopped them."  
  
Reyes eyes skimmed over her, silent in thought. He took a few steps towards her, his shoulder skimming against hers. "Job well done, Ryder. Don't worry, I'll let everyone know who deserves the spotlight." He paused in his steps, idly biting his bottom lip before he added in, "though, not as if I have to play up too much detail. You're a wonder in itself, Ryder."  
  
Kylie's laugh was short, more of a scoff, her hand waving dismissively at him while a wave of deep red danced across her dark brown cheeks. "Nice try, Reyes. We did this together, I just happened to trip over the evidence we needed."  
  
"Ah," he snorted, rolling his whiskey eyes. "I do suppose we make a good team."  
  
"Careful, Reyes," her face beamed as she gave his shoulder a little push with hers, giving him a wink. "You sound like you might actually like me."  
  
His laugh echoed through the cave, his voice suddenly growing more soft, more serious. Her heart stopped. "Maybe I do, Kylie."  
  
Her body tensed for the briefest second before she forced herself to relax, rolling her eyes while passing by him in one fluid motion, her heart uselessly fluttering in her chest while her mind stormed with her confused emotions, endlessly fighting with themselves inside her stupid heart. "Uh huh."


	9. eyes closed

_"Kylie, might I ask you a question?"_ Sam's voice flitted through the silent air in her quarters, her eyes darting up from a datapad she had been immersed in.  
  
"Yeah, of course, Sam." She started from her spot curled up in her bed, blankets pooling all around her with pillows everywhere. Her fingers thumbed over the datapad in her hand, marking where she left off before she looked up at the ceiling. "What's on your mind, Sassmaster?"  
  
_"Do you think Reyes likes me?"_  
  
The question caught her off-guard, her eyebrows shooting up and a sharp laugh escaping her before she could help it. "Do I think Reyes likes you?" She repeated in wonder, a big grin dancing across her face as she sat up, looking over at his hologram on her desk. "Why do you ask?"  
  
_"When he spoke with you about the murders in Kadara Port, he referred to me as 'fancy'. I believe that happened to be a compliment directed to me."_  
  
"Aww, Sassmaster, do you have a crush on little old Reyes?" She erupted into a series of happy giggles, the datapad pressing against her lips as her body fell back down into her pillow pile.  
  
_"Kylie, please answer my question. I am being serious."_  
  
"Now you're begging?" Her body flitted with laughter as she pulled her blanket up over her head. He effortlessly switched to their private channel, the girl jumping from the sudden intrusion in her head.

 _"Kylie, do you believe that Reyes likes me?"_  
  
"Yes, Sam. He called you fancy, pretty sure he loves you." She tapped her head forehead, grinning. "Bet he wishes he had his own fancy AI in his head."  
  
_"Thank you. I do believe he likes you, too. His heart rate spikes and his pupils dilate whenever he sees you."_  
  
Her heart stuttered as she threw the datapad off to the side of her bed, bringing her thumb to her lips and idly gnawing on her nail. "...Yeah, I kinda figured that."  
  
_"Your heart rate has increased and I can detect that you are feeling uncomfortable. Do you not like him?"_  
  
"Oh, I like him. Just, I don't..." Her breath hitched. "I don't know what it means. It scares me."  
  
_"And what of Jaal? His heart rate spikes as well, though more than Reyes' does. By what I can compile based on my logs, his reaction more fits the profile of being in love."_ A pause hung in the air. _"I believe he is in love with you."_  
  
"Stop," she breathed, "please."

 _"Is this an uncomfortable subject for you to discuss?"_  
  
"Very."  
  
_"Very well. I will mark this in my logs for future reference. I apologize if I brought distress to you, Ryder."_  
  
"Kylie," she corrected, her voice suddenly feeling heavy and scratchy.  
  
_"Kylie."_  
  
Her brows furrowed, her hands irritably rubbing at her face before she pulled her blanket down and sat up. "Sam, what's the time?" She pulled her legs up to her chest and leaned back against the bed's headboard, pulling up her omnitool, the bright orange hue emitted from it dancing across her dark room, washing over her dark features.  
  
_"It is 0200, Kylie. Most of the crew is asleep by now, with the exception of Kallo."_  
  
"Thanks," she hummed, fingers hesitantly typing a message on her omnitool. _"Hey, gramps, you up?"_ Her fingers hovered over the send button, taking in a deep breath before she backspaced the entire message, her hand pressing against her forehead.  
  
_"If you wish to speak with Drack, I can call for him. He is awake right now in the galley."_  
  
"Nah," Kylie sighed, staring up at her ceiling. _Damn old man and his equally as bad insomnia. Can't ever catch a break._ "Can you record a message for me, instead?"  
  
_"Of course, Kylie. Who is it for?"_  
  
"James."  
  
_"I am recording now. Proceed whenever you would like."_  
  
"Hey, doofus." Her throat felt full, a bubble bursting in her throat as she swallowed. "I miss your stupid ass running around with me. Remember Liam? He's up with me. We've been being running around being little shits without you. Know you'll hate that." Tears bit at her eyes, her hand running up to harshly rub them away.  
  
"It's been... Hard. I'm the fucking _Pathfinder_ , all thanks to Alec running off and dying by pretending to be a goddamn hero. I'm so fucking _pissed_ at him, James." Her fingers started to scratch at her wrist, the harsh sting running up her arm, her eyes closing tight as a shudder rolled up her spine. "He put me in this stupid-ass position against my fucking will. I didn't even want to come here. I didn't even wanna fucking _go_ to goddamn Andromeda!" Her voice started to rise. She swung her feet over her bed and stood up, her nails scratching faster at her wrist, up to the top of her hand, harsh and relentless, her hand aching.  
  
Her body froze as her eyes caught the reflection of her mirror over her dresser, looking into her own sad eyes, tears staining them. "I miss you, so _fucking_ much. I don't know how to deal with this. You always had the right thing to say, the right thing to do. I don't. I don't know shit. You're so much better at this than I am. _I_ should've been in that goddamn coma, not you."  
  
"I hate the Initiative. I hate Addison, Tann, Spender, especially fucking _Tann_." Her voice sounded so bitter she could hardly recognize it. "The only one I actually like is Kesh, maybe Kandros, but the stunts I've been pulling lately? They're starting to act snippy towards me, too. I don't know what to do, big brother." Her voice wavered, emotion tugging at her throat as tears unevenly dripped down her cheeks, her face contorting in grief. "Everyone hates me. I wanna die, James."  
  
Silence fell in the room as her eyes fell on her wrist, blood scattered and splattered across her wrist and hand and under her fingernails, uneven scratches etched into her dark skin. She swallowed thickly, her throat aching as she wrapped her fingers around her wrist. "End message, Sam." She turned to leave her room, only stopping when Sam's voice bubbled up.  
  
_"Would you like me to send it, Kylie?"_  
  
"Yeah. He'll get it when he wakes up." She paused as her doors hissed open, her voice all too bitter and _sad_. "If he ever does."  
  
Kylie didn't even bother to look if anyone was in the hallway, shoving her way into the shared bathroom, her eyes glued to the floor. _It's late as fuck, I'm usually the only one awake._ She got to work, turning on the sink and washing the blood off of her hand, lingering over the worst spots as she hissed in pain, her sad eyes empty as she watched her blood color the water a soft red and run down the drain.  
  
As she reached for a paper towel the doors behind her hissed open, her entire body freezing in fear. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes wide, her breath caught in her chest, her hands trembling at the thought of being caught. Again.

Jaal stood in the doorway, sleep biting at his eyes, his face tired. "Kylie," he hummed with a nod at her, rubbing at his eyes as he made his way into the toilet before he froze, the sound of rushing water catching his ears. He looked back at her, taking in the sight of her at the sink with her wrist upturned under the faucet, blood trailing from her wrist into the water, the ghosts of tears trailing down her face. "What...?"  
  
She bit back a sob and sharply looked down, focusing her blurry eyes on the faucet. No words came from her, the inability to speak falling over her.  
  
He came up behind her, his hands encircling her wrists and gently pulling them apart, lifting her injured wrist to take in the damage. "Are these... Self-inflicted?" His sleepy voice asked so softly, so gently, treating her like a little glass doll, the pad of his thumb ghosting over one of the scratches, her hissing in pain at the way it caught. His eyes trailed down her wrist, the bathroom light catching the other scarred-over cuts dancing down her tattooed forearms, his breath catching in his throat. "You... You have hurt yourself before?"  
  
"Sorry," it came out broken, her eyes darting from her wrists to his reflection, tears unevenly rolling down her face. Her brain felt hazy and numb, a pain dancing behind her eyes as she attempted to find an excuse, anything, _something_. "I... I..." She trailed off lamely, her breath catching as he brought her wrist up to his lips and ghosted a kiss across the cluster of cuts. Then he turned her hand and kissed the top, right over the cluster of new cuts there, his lips trailing kisses down her forearm, stopping to kiss each and every scar.  
  
"There is no need to apologize to _me_ , Kylie." A sob escaped her before she could help it, his other arm wrapping around her waist to pull her back against him, hand splayed over her small stomach. "I am here for you, as is Drack and Liam, and many, many more." Another kiss. "There is no need to harm yourself," another kiss, "no need to take it out on yourself." The final kiss nearly sent her over the edge. "You are not alone, my dear Kylie."  
  
The noise that came from her hurt, a sob breaking into an ugly wail as she turned and shoved her face into his chest, her hands wrenching themselves in his sleep shirt, her injured wrist dotting blood across the fabric as it moved. He said nothing as he crushed her against him, hugging her as tightly as he possibly ever could, the pressure not enough for his liking, her tears wetting his shirt.

His fingers idly carded through her curly hair as gentle as possible, his heart painfully squeezing in his chest at the broken noises she was making. "It breaks my heart," he started so softly, his voice so heavy with the pain he felt for her, "that you believe you need to hurt yourself to feel better."  
  
How long they've been standing there holding each other, she doesn't know. It felt like hours before she finally calmed down, her breath coming in quick gasps and sniffles, hardly able to breathe normally. Jaal's hands trailed an idle pattern on her back, through her hair, over her shoulders, following the curve of her jaw, anything in an attempt to help ease her pain.

Her bloodshot eyes flickered up to his, the sadness in his eyes for her enough to make her burst into tears again. "Sorry," her voice was rough, cracking as she spoke. "I..." Her eyes flickered down to look at his nose, unable to look into his sad eyes and she took in a deep, shaky breath. "Can you help me wrap my hair? I... I wanna go to bed."  
  
He nodded, watching as she walked over to her own locker in the bathroom to pull out her supplies. A bottle of some type of oil, a satin scarf, and a small bag of hair pins. Bobby pins, he remembers her telling him. He took the bottle of oil from her and squeezed some into both of their hands before closing it and setting it aside, rubbing his hands together then carding his fingers through her hair. Her trembling hands joined his after a second as they evenly spread the oil through her hair until every strand got saturated.

After she washed and dried her hands, him simply rubbing the oil into his forearms as she did so, she picked up the silk scarf and threw her head upside down, him guiding her hair and helping her tie it around the base of her head, pulling it into a knot behind her head before she flipped back up.  
  
"...Thanks." A shaky sigh left her as she pushed a few bobby pins into the scarf to help keep it in place.  
  
Jaal hesitated as he stood there, his body fighting against his heart at what he wanted to do. He wanted to comfort her like he wanted to, to hold her and tell her everything would be okay, but he wasn't sure if she would allow him. He compromised with himself, allowing his hands to meet her waist, her eyes flicking up to meet his in the reflection in the mirror. "Kylie," he began, his hands tightening ever-so-slightly, his blue eyes locked with hers. "I do not want you to feel as though you need to hurt yourself anymore."  
  
"Jaal..." She took in a ragged deep breath, willing herself to keep calm, the telltale bubble of a sob forming in the back of her throat. "I promise, I don't -"  
  
"No," his arms wrapped around her waist, him taking a step closer to her. "If you feel the need to hurt yourself starting to come, wake me up."  
  
She sighed softly, turning around to look up at him, her hands resting on his shoulders. "I don't want to interrupt your sleep for my useless ass, Jaal..."  
  
"Nonsense. You're not useless, dear." His forehead pressed against hers, his eyes falling shut. "Besides, angara do not need as much sleep as humans do. It is truly not a problem, I _want_ you to wake me up. You are more important than sleep, Kylie."  
  
Her eyes fell shut, tears bubbling in the corners as she swallowed down her emotions. "I don't deserve this."  
  
"Yes, you do. And more."

* * *

  
"You look like you're waiting for someone," an airy giggle danced behind her words as she approached the man curved over the bartop, her fingers poking at the smooth expanse of the back of his neck as she rounded him and saddled up beside him at the bar.  
  
Reyes let out a huff, a grin tugging at his lips while a hand came up to rub against the back of his neck as he shifted to face her. "That's _my_ line."  
  
"Too bad, it's mine now, buddy." She cheekily grinned, crossing her arms and bumping her shoulder against him, earning a breathless chuckle from him.  
  
The asari bartender groaned, burying her head in her blue hands behind the counter. Her eyes looked at them from her spread fingers, her eyes rolling. "You two want a room or a drink?" Kylie's face lit up at her words, her cheeks feeling hot. _Wow._  
  
"Neither, unfortunately." Reyes whiskey eyes flickered over to her for a second, his rich voice deep, a smirk tugging at his lips. "We need information." Her heart stuttered in her chest at his words and she gave him a playful push, shaking her head.  
  
"Oh? You know that doesn't come free, Vidal." Umi grabbed a glass and started cleaning it in an attempt to look busy, watching the two from the corner of her eyes with barely concealed disgust. More so annoyance, really.  
  
"My _friend_ owes me," his shoulder bumped hers, his voice lilting at the word.  
  
"Uh, hell no." Kylie shot him a pointed look, giving his shoulders an irritated push, "you still owe me for earlier, holy shit. Fuck off, Vidal."  
  
He laughed hard, holding up a hand in surrender. It fell back down to the counter and his fingertips tapped the bar top for a moment as he thought, his eyes darting from one side of the counter to the other. "I have a bottle of Mount Milgrom I'm willing to part ways with."  
  
"Deal. What you want?"  
  
"Seen Zia Cordier?"  
  
Umi scoffed. "Uh, you mean your ex?"  
  
Kylie paused, a strange feeling grabbing at her heart. _Is he using me? Damn._ "Ex? As in ex-girlfriend?"  
  
"Uh," Reyes started quickly, an uneasy smile on his face as his hand gestured in the air, his words bubbling with anxiety in an attempt to explain the situation away. "Girlfriend is such a _strong_ word. We got drinks," he hastily added, " _occasionally_."  
  
Her heart dropped at his words and she _hated_ that. "If by occasionally you mean all the time," Umi added with a cheeky grin, turning around to put the glass away to hide it.  
  
"Umi," Reyes glared at her, his golden eyes dangerous. "Seen her?"  
  
Kylie bit her bottom lip, her eyes lowering to the ground as she listened to them over her furiously beating heart. _Fuck you too, buddy._  "Yeah, she was here the other day with a shifty salarian. Maybe he's the Charlatan, he was acting suspicious enough."  
  
"Hmm," he hummed, shaking his head. She looked up at him when she felt him shift, a look on his face that said he wanted to change the subject as quickly as possible. _Weird._  "Anything's possible, Umi. You overhear their conversation?"  
  
"They were talking business deals about something in the Badlands. That's about it."  
  
"I see. Thanks, Umi."  
  
"Fuck off."  
  
His hand met Kylie's lower back, bringing her back to reality and guiding her over to a table. He effortlessly sat down and leaned back, his hands folding behind his head as he worried his bottom lip between his teeth. "Business deals, huh?"  
  
She hesitated to sit down, her eyes flickering to the small area of tan skin that appeared as he stretched back and his shirt hiked up ever-so-slightly, walking behind his chair and ghosting her fingers over the back of his seat. "Is this about cargo or getting back at an ex, Reyes?"  
  
He chuckled, looking up at her with the most amused expression, his dark hair falling back and a twinkle in his whiskey eyes. _God, I hate that he's so cute._  "Why, Ryder, you sound jealous?"  
  
"I'm not jealous, dumbass." Her brows furrowed as she plopped down into her chair across from him, her ankles crossing. "I wanna know what I'm running into before it happens. Just..." She groaned, leaning forward and burying her face in her hands. "Answer the damn question, Reyes."  
  
"It's about the _cargo_ , Kylie."  
  
She slowly nodded her head, taking in a deep breath. Her eyes peeked at him from her hands. "What do you need me to do?"  
  
"Check out that dead drop in the Badlands. I'll work on finding that salarian, see if he's acting for the Charlatan. I highly doubt he's actually the Charlatan, but it's worth checking out."  
  
A groan escaped her as she leaned back, the cutest pout on her face. "I hate that you always stick me with all the physical work."  
  
He leaned forward as his eyes flickered up and down her body, his lips curling into a smirk. "Well, you are more muscular than I am, Ryder." His hands patted at his stomach, a toothy, cocky grin tugging at his lips.  
  
She giggled, lifting her arm, pulling back her jacket's sleeve and flexing her very well-toned muscles. "Totally. Could probably bench press you if I wanted to."

* * *

   
"Hey, Reyes, I found that dead drop." Her comm's static buzzed in the background as she kicked rocks away from the hole in the mountain, shooting a wary look up at the crumbling bits falling from above. Hopefully, it's not gonna collapse and suddenly kill her and her squad before they left. _The sweet release of death. Focus, Kylie._ "Nothing's here, just a location."  
  
_"The salarian was a farce, too."_ His rich voice replied, a sigh escaping him. Shuffling echoed in the background before he finally added, _"send me the coordinates, I'll meet you there."_  
  
"Got it," she tapped her omnitool before dismissing it, turning back to look at Drack and Jaal. "Ready to go?"  
  
"Yeah, lemme drive, though." Drack's deep voice said as he shoved his way past Jaal to get into the Nomad. "You're too distracted lately, almost drove us off the mountain at one point."  
  
"Whatever! I was avoiding an eiroch!" She pointed her finger at him as Jaal hoisted her up, helping her step into the vehicle. "You should be lucky I saw that bastard in time or else he would've pulverized the vehicle!"  
  
"Sure you were."  
  
"Ugh, I hate you." She grumbled as she took her seat beside Jaal in the back, her arms crossing over her chest. Her foot darted out to poke at Jaal's, a big smile on his face as he nudged her foot back. "Can I at least play my music?"  
  
"I don't care, kid."  
  
"Sweet." She lifted her omnitool, scrolling through it before tapping a song and turning the volume all the way up, the Nomad literally trembling from the song.

* * *

  
"Over here," Reyes called out from across the room as she walked into the warehouse, waving his hand in a 'come hither' motion. "Help me get this open."  
  
Kylie waved Jaal and Drack off to explore the rest of the warehouse as she approached the crate with an eyebrow quirked up, shooting it a weary look. "You sure about this? Just wanna kick open a strange crate in a warehouse we shouldn't be in?"  
  
He rolled his eyes, crouching down and starting on one side. "Ryder, we've done more dangerous things than open a crate."  
  
"Fine. If it explodes, you better be the one to catch it." She sighed, helping him pry it open. The crate fell open to reveal... Nothing. Not even dust. Her eyebrows furrowed, looking at him in confusion. "It's... Empty."  
  
"This doesn't make sense," he stood up, running a hand through his messy black hair. His eyes darted around the room, taking in a steadying deep breath. "We're at the right location... Maybe..."  
  
"Maybe there wasn't any cargo to begin with." Her hand fell over her gun in its holster, her voice breathless.   
  
His arms outstretched slightly, staring at her with an incredulous look through the gesture. "You're saying this is a setup?"  
  
"You always were a little dense, Reyes." An accented voice drawled from behind them, Kylie whipping around with her shotgun up.  
  
"Zia," Reyes breathed, stepping up to be beside Kylie. Her heart stuttered at the way he said her name, her eyes glancing at him from the corners of her eyes, her throat feeling itchy.   
  
"You could never resist a big payout, even at the cost of your own buyers' trust." As she approached them, Kylie took in her appearance.  _Yeah, I can see why he liked her. She's beautiful._ Short red hair, rich brown eyes, freckles dotting her face.  _Not to mention, she sounds French. Wow._  
  
He chuckled, holding his arms out in a broad gesture, his fingers slightly brushing against Kylie's outstretched arms, goosebumps dotting her flesh. "What can I say? I'm a greedy man."  
  
"That's why you have no friends, Reyes. You're selfish." Her finger pointed accusatory to him, taking slow, calculated steps towards them. "You _use_ people, take advantage of their trust then turn on them before they realize what's hit them."  
  
"Hey!" Her shotgun pointed right at the redhead's face, anger dancing in her eyes. "Reyes is a better man than you think, bitch. A way better person than you probably could ever _hope_ to be."  
  
"Oh, honey," Zia all but purred as she took a step closer to her, a condescending look radiating off of her. "You have no idea how wrong you are. But you will, and it will _hurt_."  
  
"Leave her out of this!" Reyes snapped as his arm darted out to pull Kylie behind him, blocking her from the woman and taking a step towards Zia. "This is between you and me, not her."  
  
"Oh?" The grin on Zia's face was sickening, like she was getting off on Reyes' anger. She rounded him and continued her steps until her chest pressed against Kylie's pointed gun, taunting her to act. "You must _really_ like this one, Reyes."  
  
Anger bubbled in Kylie's chest, a numb feeling dancing down her legs right into her feet, her gun pressing even harder against her armored chest. His hand hovered between the two, his fingers slowly curling into a fist. "Cut the shit, Zia. Get to the point. What do you want?"  
  
"You broke my heart, Reyes. Thought we had something special."  
  
"What we had wasn't _special_."  
  
"I'll start with this bitch, I suppose." Her eyes rolled, leaning into Kylie's personal space. "Let me guess, he charmed you over drinks and promised to be your friend, right? That's what he does. He's a piece of shit, honey. You should run while you can -" Her voice came to a halting screech as Kylie's fist collided with her cheek, her biotics crackling around her, the impact sending her flying backwards.  
  
Reyes stared at her with wide eyes and his mouth agape, stunned.   
  
"Move in!" The woman yelled as she stood up, hand wiping away the blood that trickled down her nose from the impact. "Leave the bitch for me!"  
  
A flurry of gunfire erupted around them while Kylie charged right for Zia, her icy eyes hyper-focused on her, a dangerous look dancing in them.  

Zia rolled out of the way just as her biotic charge ran to her, jumping to her feet and slamming her pistol into the back of the raven's head.

Kylie crumpled to the ground in pain and the redhead took the opportunity to straddle and pin her down, gun pressed to her forehead. Her legs held her down, one of her hands grabbing the girl's wrist and pinning them above her head.

Her heart raced in her chest, fear seizing her lungs, as the cool metal sent goosebumps rushing up her body. "He's not worth it, honey. He's going to ruin you."  
  
"Oh, _honey_ ," her voice dripped with venom and sarcasm, snarling as if a gun wasn't held to her head. "Maybe _you_ just weren't his type."  
  
"Don't tempt me, _little girl,_ " Zia hissed, pushing the barrel of her gun harder against her forehead, her blue eyes fluttering from the pain. "I can splatter your pretty little brain all over this floor in a second."  
  
Her biotics crackled around her, a purple haze slowly engulfing them, only to falter and die down to nothing.  
  
_"Your implant is beginning to overheat, Kylie."_  
  
_Goddamn. Holy fuck. Why now?_ "What, too weak?" Zia purred into her ear, a cocky grin dancing across her face while her red hair ghosted over the girl's face, strands tickling her temples.  
  
"Shut your goddamn mouth." She tried in a vain attempt to pull her legs up under her, only for the redhead to halt her moves by putting all of her weight on her legs. Her eyes shut tight, willing herself to calm down, heart racing in her chest. Thoughts flickered through her head, desperately searching for a way to get the upper hand, and her breath caught in her chest at the thought of Zia pulling the trigger at any second.   
  
_Only have one chance. Better not fuck up._

Kylie took in a deep breath and screamed as loud as she could, the jarring noise causing Zia to jump and a shiver to run up her own spine. Her gun moved just centimeters from her face and she ran with the opportunity. Her hands wrapped around the gun, twisting it along with her hands until a crack sounded and her hands fell from the trigger, pushing herself forward to straddle the redhead, the two switching positions.

"What, too weak?" Kylie smirked as she pressed the gun against her forehead.  
  
"Fuck you!"  
  
"You too, princess." She pulled the trigger. No hesitation. Her stomach lurched at the sound of the gunshot, her eyes squeezing shut at the sickening noise that came from beneath her. _Shit. I've done this how many times now and I still feel so bad about it? Fuck._  
  
"Kylie?!" Jaal's panicked voice called out as he came running from around the crates they were behind, his blue eyes wide and his breath fast and heavy. Relief flooded him as he took in her position, realizing she wasn't the one hurt. "Are you alright? I heard you screaming."  
  
"I'm good." Her eyes focused on the woman's face, her soul gone and her eyes rolled back. Her heart felt heavy. "I'm fine." She forced herself to stand, letting Zia's pistol fall and clatter beside her dead body, nausea hitting her stomach hard. A hand pressed against her stomach, willing herself to push the thoughts away. "Is everyone else good?"  
  
"Reyes got shot."  
  
Her icy eyes shot wide open, her heart stopping. Cold inched its way up her spine at his words. "What? Is he okay?" She took off with waiting for the angara to answer, bolting around the curve of the room to the front door.

Reyes was sat by the door, his hands pressed to his stomach and his eyes shut tight in pain, sweat glistening on his skin and his black hair messed up, his body leaning back against the wall. Blood trickled on his stained hands, her breath catching at the sight. "Oh, fuck."  
  
She fell to her knees as she slid up to him, trembling hands fishing in her belt to find her supply of medigel. "Show me."  
  
"Ryder, I'm -"  
  
" _Show_ me."  
  
His hands wearily released the pressure on his stomach revealing a nasty bullet shot wound to the left half of his upper torso, a steady stream of deep red blood oozing from it. "Goddamn," she breathed, her finger lightly ghosting under the wound. "Sam?"  
  
_"It is not as serious as it appears. I detect that the bullet had fully gone through him and is not in the wound. I recommend applying medigel and taking him to Lexi."_  
  
"You heard him." She started tugging at his armor, pulling down various straps and zippers until it fell from him, only his stained undershirt left. She pushed up his shirt, the fabric clinging to the blood and making her feel nauseous. With his shirt out of the way, she squeezed the gel into her hands, rubbing them together then pressing them to his bare stomach. He hissed in pain, grabbing her wrists harshly. "You're good, breathe." Her hands worked the gel across his stomach, her hands growing tingly and numb from the liquid.  
  
"A-About..." He took in an unsteady breath, hissing in pain. "About what you said back there to Zia? About me being a good man?" His hand reached up and brushed a few of her black baby hairs behind her ears, a small smile on his face. "Thanks, for that."  
  
Her smile made his heart flutter, her numb fingers reaching up to brush his messy hair from his face, leaving a numb trail across his temple. "Anytime, Mr. Smooth."

The smile he gave her was so soft, so warm, her fingers feeling tingly from the sight. "Meet me at Tartarus after I get released from your spiffy doctor?"

She laughed, running her fingers through his hair. "Duh."

* * *

  
Her breath left her in one swift rush of air as he pressed her up against the wall in his room on Tartarus, his hands painfully pinning her hips down to the wall. The music pulsed and boomed through the walls, their bodies slightly trembling from the beat. She gasped into the kiss, his teeth knocking against hers from the sheer intensity, her fingers tangling themselves in his now messed-up black coif. Her hips desperately rolled against his for friction, a whimper escaping the back of her throat and a groan mumbled from him into the frantic kiss.  
  
His hand trailed up the front of her loose white shirt, ghosting over the bare skin of her dark stomach, thumb brushing over her bra while his kisses trailed lower to her jaw, up to her ear, " _Fuck_." Her breath came in sharp and out unsteady, whimpering when his hand pushed under her bra and his searing kisses trailed down her neck, a shiver dancing up her spine and goosebumps dotting her flesh. "W-Wait." Her words left her before she processed them, her hand untangling from his hair to grab his wrist that was deliciously wedged under her bra, pulling it out. "Wait."  
  
Reyes' dark brows furrowed, swallowing thickly as he attempted to bring himself back down from the high. "What?" His voice was husky as he let go of her hips, his fingers hurting from how hard he held her. He flexed his fingers, working out the knots. "What's wrong?"  
  
"This feels... Wrong." She managed after a minute, her voice shaky as she carefully pushed against his stomach to get him to pull back, careful not to touch his injury. He pulled away without hesitation, worry in his golden eyes. "I don't know."  
  
His hands hovered above her waist, golden eyes searching her face for any reaction, the smallest nod from her giving him permission to gently rest on her waist, his expression endearingly soft. "What about this feels wrong?"  
  
"What we're doing. I don't know," she wiggled her body free of his, stepping away from him and realigning her clothes with trembling hands. "I don't know how I feel. This scares me." Her icy eyes met his and he was taken aback by the intensity of her gaze, her eyes slightly glossed over with tears. "I can't do this, Reyes."  
  
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, Kylie."  
  
"Stop being so understanding!" Her eyes shot wide open, hands clenched into fists at her sides, tears biting painfully at her eyes. "Goddamn it, I don't get why everything has to be so complicated." She grabbed sharply at her hair, tugging it as she paced away from him. "I-I gotta go." She grabbed her jacket from his couch and took off as she put it on.


	10. andromeda

The galley's doors hissed open to reveal Drack standing there, datapad in his hand and standing by the oven, the room filled with the scent of something sweet cooking. He looked up from the datapad, immediately noticing how nervous she looked. He threw his datapad down. "Come in, kid." He motioned to the table as he sat down.  
  
"Hey," she mumbled nervously, fidgeting with her fingers as she sat down in one of the metal chairs, her gaze fixated on her hands as her legs curled up under her.  
  
"You're thinkin' about somethin', aren't you? I can tell by the look on your face."  
  
She sighed, shakily. "Maybe. I'm... I'm confused."  
  
He nodded his head, his attention totally focused on her. "What are you confused about, kiddo?"  
  
Her emotions danced in her chest as she fought against herself, looking up at him then back down at her hands, her brows furrowing and unfurrowing. "I... I feel like..." She hesitated, shaking her head. "I... I don't know how to describe it, gramps."  
  
He stood up and took a quick glance inside the oven before he plopped back down in his seat. "Take your time, kiddo. I've got all the time in the world for you."  
  
Fuck, that made her heart hurt. "Me and Reyes made out. He tried taking things further." The words left her in a rush, watching him carefully for his reaction.  
  
Only, he had no reaction. He merely nodded his head as if he knew exactly how that felt, standing as a timer went off and popping on an oven mitt over his big hand to pull out what he was baking. "Did you?"  
  
"No. I... I made him stop, said it didn't feel right." Her hands twisted. "I felt sick to my stomach afterward. I'm not good at relationships, gramps. I cling to people who show me something and then I regret it."  
  
"Well, do you have feelings for him?" His mind flickered to a certain angaran male on their ship as he sat the cookie sheet on the stovetop, his brows furrowing when he felt one of his hearts constrict. _Shit. This feels all too familiar for my likings._  
  
"Yes, I do." A pause, one of his hearts seizing in his chest again at her words. "Wait, no." Relief. "No, I don't." Shit, now he felt just as confused as she felt. "Yes, maybe?" Her hands grabbed at her hair, tugging and pulling at the strands, unsure what to do. "I don't know, Drack."  
  
He nodded, throwing off the mitt to sit back down beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder. "You gotta sit and think about it, Kylie. Mull on it for awhile." He rubbed her shoulder. "Matter of fact, I want you to close your eyes."  
  
She shot him a wary look and he laughed, rubbing her back. "Come on. It's not a trick, I promise. I ain't Liam."  
  
Her eyes fell shut, shaking her head in disbelief. "Okay, fine. Don't see the point in this, old man."  
  
"Just listen, 'kay?" He paused, leaning back against his chair, his hand lowering to rub another circle into her back. "I want you to think about the future." Her snort made him chuckle. "Play along, kid. Think about your future, if you want kids or not. Imagine what they'd look like. Now imagine gettin' married or gettin' serious with someone. First person to pop into your mind, tell me."  
  
Her breath hitched. "Jaal."  
  
Relief flooded Drack, nodding his head. "That's what I thought." He sat back up, a hand ghosting down her curly hair. "I think you're feelin' shitty 'cause you have feelings for Jaal, but because Reyes is a smooth ass motherfucker and knows how to charm people over, you're confused about if you really feel somethin' for him or not."  
  
She slowly nodded her head as he spoke, taking in a deep breath. "But I like Reyes. Shit, I like Jaal, too. I just..." A sigh left her, hard and heavy. "I guess I don't know if I'm ready for a relationship right now or not."  
  
"Have your fun, kid. If you kids aren't sure what you want, you'll figure it out. No harm in having fun while figurin' it out." His hearts battled against what he was saying, the thought of Jaal ending up heartbroken like he was all those years ago plaguing his mind, but this is _his kid_ they were talking about. She's not a toy being passed around, a trophy being handed to whoever wins her over. She deserves to go after whoever makes her happy, whatever her choice is. "I'm here for ya, whatever you need, whenever you need me, got it?"

His words brought tears to her eyes, her desperately blinking them away as she nodded, shooting him a happy little smile. Her eyes glanced over to the stovetop. "What are you making?"  
  
"Oh, I was bakin' some cookies for you. Figured you needed a pick me up lately." He stood and grabbed a cookie off of the sheet, handing it to her. "Chocolate chip. Your favorite. Liam told me."  
  
She teared up, taking it gratefully.

* * *

  
_"Ryder,"_ her comms buzzed alive as she made her way down the hallway, cookie in hand, her heart stuttering at Jaal's deep voice. _"I... I need to see you in my room. Please come see me as soon as you can."_  
  
Her brows furrowed, turning on her heel and downing her cookie to throw her way up the ladder. "You good, Jaal? You sound worried."  
  
_"It's bad."_ When he didn't elaborate further, she let out a long, shaky breath, sprinting down the bridge and turning on her heel to the research room. The doors to the tech lab were open and it made her worry. She took a step inside and heard the static of a comm station, her eyes scanning the room to find Jaal at his desk near his cot, his brows furrowed and his hand pressed against his mouth as he listened to the comm, a group of angaran women talking over each other.  
  
_"You more than anyone know how dangerous Akksul is!"_  
  
"Why were they allowed to speak with him?!" His hand banged against his desk, his other hand grabbing at his face.  
  
_"They aren't children anymore, Jaal. We can't control their every move."_ A pause. _"You remember how you were."_ His head fell at her words, a sigh leaving him. "Yes, I know."  
  
_"Please, Jaal!"_ He fell back into his chair in defeat, his words trembling. "I'll bring them home."  
  
"Jaal?" She started softly as she made her way to his desk, her hands grabbing the back of his chair. "What's going on?"  
  
"Three of my brothers and sisters have joined the Roekaar." He hesitantly said, his voice airy in disbelief. "Akksul has poisoned them with his hatred of aliens," he stood from his chair and turned around, his shoulders slack in defeat.  
  
"And your moms want you to bring them back?"  
  
He stood facing away from her, his eyes glued to the ground until he took in a steadying breath and turned around, his head tilted down and his eyes staring up into hers. "The Roekaar have made camp at the Forge." He began to pace, his words fumbling over themselves. "Many consider it the birthplace of our civilization."  
  
"Akksul likely believes this bold move will create more fanatics for his cause." His body froze, his gaze falling back to the ground, his hands lamely falling to his sides. "Ryder," he stepped towards her and grabbed her shoulders, his eyes wide and staring into hers, tears biting at the corners. "He has my _family_ ," he breathed, his voice shaky. "I can't do this alone."  
  
Her hands came up to rest over his. "You don't have to. We'll drag their asses back screaming and kicking if we have to."  
  
Relief flooded him, his hands grasping her jaw. "No hesitation." An airy chuckle left him, his forehead pressing against hers. "That is what I love about you."

* * *

  
"Just follow my lead, Ryder." His hand rested on her leg, his thumb brushing against the armor there. She swallowed thickly, her eyes staring down at his big hand. "We'll get my family back."

She nodded her head, her hand falling over his, giving it a small squeeze. "What if Akksul shows up?"  
  
His eyes grew dark, his head tilting down to glare at the floor. "Leave that to me. I just need you to trust me."  
  
_"We're here."_ The pilot boomed over the shuttle's comms, the ship shuttering as it landed, the doors hissing open. _"Haven't been detected yet. Good luck."_ They made their way out of the shuttle, Jaal helping her down from the big drop out of the shuttle.  
  
"Shit, it's goddamn beautiful here." Liam gasped from up ahead, his chocolate eyes wide in wonder as he took in the impossibly colored purple-pink-blue area, glowing trees and sparkling flowers and the likes overgrown and hanging about everywhere.  
  
Jaal chuckled, taking off ahead of the two as he entered the clearing, buildings and structures nestled neatly in a circle. "This is the Govataan. It is where every angara comes at some point in their lives, either to learn or live here for awhile." His words came to an abrupt stop as he took in his surroundings, his mouth falling open. "It... It is deserted. The Govataan is usually filled with travelers."  
  
Kylie jumped down from their spot on the ledge, landing with a loud huff. "Well, Avka said no traffic in or out."  
  
"Still," Liam started as he rolled down, landing on his ass beside her. He chuckled as she helped him up, rolling her eyes. "Kinda expected to see at least someone."  
  
"Where... Are the Roekaar?" Jaal's head tilted as he opened one building, his brows furrowing to discover nobody inside.  
  
She tapped his shoulder. "Come on, let's keep looking."

* * *

  
The ground trembled as the bridge connecting the Forge to another area of land crumbled, explosions going off all around it. " _No_!" Jaal yelled, bolting towards the area before he fell to his knees and punched the dirt, growling in frustration.

"Holy shit!" Kylie called out, steadying herself against Liam. "What the fuck? They must really not want us to get across."  
  
"Fuck! What do we do now, big guy?" Liam's hand met Jaal's shoulder, the angara shrugging it off before he sharply stood up, his hands on his head, his breathing hard.  
  
"We... We must jump down." An indignant scoff came from the girl. "Use the rocks," he said, shooting her a questioning look while lowering himself down a level. "We can make it across if we use our jump jets."  
  
Kylie sighed. "Fine."  
  
After a few minutes of fumbling and much screaming coming from the two humans, they finally managed to make the jump, Kylie desperately grabbing for the ground as her grip started to fail. Jaal grabbed her wrist, effortlessly pulling the small girl up to stable ground as if she was a feather. "Okay, now what?" She grumbled as she dusted herself off.  
  
"Up the hill. We will climb our way back," he started up the hill. Kylie ran and pulled him down behind cover, pointing ahead to reveal a group of sharpshooters crouched in hiding ahead. "Shit."  
  
"Make quick work of these guys!" Liam yelled as he rolled into cover.  
  
_"Kylie, I would suggest saving your biotics on the off-chance that Akksul appears."_  
  
"Didn't realize I'd be taking battle suggestions from an AI today," she grumbled to herself as she took out two sharpshooters. "I really should just get an implant transplant."  
  
Jaal's shoulder bumped against hers, her head tilting to spare him a glance. He stared at her with mild worry, a grin tugging at his lips. "Are you alright, Ryder? You're mumbling to yourself again."  
  
She grinned, bumping his shoulder back before shooting another Roekaar's head clean off. "Oh, I'm good." She winked at him, "just complaining to Sassmaster Sam."  
  
"I see." He chuckled, shaking his head.  
  
As the last Roekaar fell, Liam shook his head in disbelief, holstering his gun while he spun in a slow circle, his arms outstretched. "Goddamn, this place is downright impressive."  
  
Jaal chuckled in amusement, his hand pressing against Kylie's back as her head tilted up to take in the place. "Just wait until we get inside."  
  
Her jaw dropped. " _Inside_? What do you mean, _inside_? There's more?"  
  
His grin made her heart stutter, his head tilting towards her as he ushered her along. "Oh, yes. There's a cave ahead. That is where the Forge is." His breath paused, "and hopefully, where my family is."  
  
The group made their way along the scattered staircases, Kylie's head snapping to and fro as she took in as much of the place as possible. She felt jealous that Havarl was this beautiful. Jaal's hand gently grabbed her elbow, causing her to pause and look at him. "Look," he said, pointing to the silhouette of rock formations dancing in the sunset. Her eyes widened, taking a step towards the edge of the hill, her eyes falling down to take in the glistening ocean below, looking as if a bunch of stars crash landed into the deep blue water.  
  
"This is so beautiful," she was breathless.  
  
His chuckle was airy and happy, taking in the way she looked in contrast to the horizon, his heart skipping a beat. _She looks so beautiful here._ "I..." He hesitated as he took up his place beside her. "I had always hoped to bring you here, just... Not in these circumstances."  
  
"Aw, big guy," she giggled, giving his shoulder a little punch, loving the way he flushed a deep purple at her words. "You're so sweet."  
  
"Isn't he?" Liam quipped from behind them, a grin on his face. "Come on."

* * *

  
Kylie bolted into cover as gunfire exploded around them, Jaal and Liam right behind her. A woman's voice called out, panic laced in it. "Intruders have reached the nest!" Another voice clipped in, deeper than before. "I count three."  
  
Jaal's body stiffened beside her, his eyes wide. As she made a move to peek out of cover to shoot, he grabbed her and pulled her down right onto her ass, his hand raised telling her to pause, his blue eyes unfocused. "Wait!" He paused, listening to them converse again. "I know those voices!"  
  
"Lathoul, go for backup!"  
  
He slowly raised out of cover, one hand raised. "Wait!" He yelled, desperation laced in his voice as he turned around to face them, his other arm raising up to join the other. "Lathoul! _Wait!_ Stop!"  
  
Baranjj peeked over his cover, his brows shooting up as he holstered his gun and jumped over the ledge. "It's Jaal!" He gasped, breaking into a sprint towards him. "Jaal, is that you?" He ran to Jaal with his arms outstretched, laughing happily.  
  
Jaal growled, his hand squeezing into a fist before it collided into Baranjj's face. The man twisted, Jaal's other fist hitting his other cheek, a deep growl rumbling in his chest. As Baranjj prepared to throw a punch at Jaal, the man pulled him into a tight hug, their laughter filling the air.  
  
Their foreheads pressed together as the other two joined them, relief in Jaal's voice as Baranjj grabbed his forearms. "Baranjj, our mothers sent me."  
  
"All of them?"  
  
Teviint's expression darkened as the two humans came into view from their cover, approaching the group. "Did our mothers send this alien, too?" She hissed as she stormed up to Kylie, leaning right down into her face and towering over her.  
  
"Jaal," Kylie started, a nervous grin dancing across her face. _Are all angara tall as shit or am I just short as fuck?_ "You never told me how badass your sister is."  
  
Teviint's cheeks darkened, her eyes narrowing as she shot a side-long glance at Jaal. Her blue eyes looked her up and down in disgust before she spit at her. "Your people are a joke."  
  
"Teviint," Jaal started, almost scolding as he wedged himself between the two, his hands landing on his sister's shoulders, "please."  
  
She turned around and Kylie took the chance to desperately wipe her face off, anger dancing in the angaran woman's expression as she pushed Lathoul aside to stand beside Baranjj.  
  
Baranjj stepped up to Jaal, his brows furrowed. "Why did our mothers send you?"  
  
"Because we've lost enough to the kett." His hands grabbed Baranjj's shoulders, a pleading look in his eyes. "They're afraid to lose you to this insane cause."  
  
"But, Jaal -"  
  
"No, I want you to meet my friend, Kylie." He made a move to grab Kylie's arm, dragging her right up to the group, his free hand gesturing to her. "So you can see that Akksul is wrong."  
  
She shot him a surprised glare, biting her bottom lip, her body reluctant to play along. _Goddamn_. "Listen," she started, looking from one to the other as she spoke. "I know the angara have lost a lot to the kett. We deserve your hostility and your distrust until we earn it. I want us to get along, I'm willing to do anything to earn your trust."  
  
"We don't want _anything_ from you!" Teviint yelled, storming up to her and pointing her finger in her face. "We don't need _anything_ from aliens!"  
  
Baranjj joined her. "Who cares?!" He stepped closer, staring her down. "We don't need you."  
  
Jaal watched in shock as they bombarded her, their fingers dangerously close to her face. "Jaal," Teviint started, facing him. "Our mothers want us to live truthfully." Baranjj stepped closer to Jaal, grabbing his arms. "It is because I love my mother that I will die for this cause."  
  
"Akksul is going to blow this place up." Lathoul interrupted their inane ramblings, shoving his way between them and grabbing Kylie and Jaal's shoulders.  
  
Teviint gasped. "Lathoul!"  
  
"That's why he sent the researchers away!" He leaned closer, their heads all pressed together.  
  
"Stop. Talking." Teviint warned him, her hand reaching for her gun.  
  
"He has _bombs,_ " he breathed, looking into Kylie's eyes, cold dancing up her spine. "Stolen from _your_ people."  
  
"Oh, my God. If he bombs this place, it'll look like the Initiative did it!" Her hands grabbed her hair in disbelief, pulling at it. "Oh, Jesus. We gotta stop this, Jaal."  
  
"We have to disarm them."  
  
"I'll take you -" His words screeched to a stop as a gunshot went off, him gasping in pain as he was rocked forward into Kylie's arms. The two crumpled down to the floor, Jaal kneeling to help hold his weight off of the small girl.  
  
Jaal looked up at Teviint in disbelief, her gun outstretched. Baranjj's jaw fell open, staring at her in shock. Silence fell among the group as her mouth slowly fell open, her eyes widening and tears glossing them over. "Oh," she gasped, her fingers falling from her gun, the weapon clattering to the floor, her hands pressing to her temples. Baranjj grabbed her as she started to cry, pulling her away.  
  
"Teviint!" Jaal yelled, anger booming in his deep voice.  
  
Lathoul grabbed Jaal's jaw and pulled him back towards him. "No, no, _no_ \- The _bombs_ , Jaal. In the Forge." He groaned in pain, pressing a hand against his stomach while Kylie started to dig at her belt. His other hand grabbed hers, stopping her fishing. "I'm okay, stop. I'll be fine, Jaal."  
  
"Holy fuck, Lathoul, let me put medigel on you, something -" He shook his head violently, his eyes shutting tight in pain. His grip tightened on their wrists, his eyes growing dark. "I _hate_ Akksul. Don't let him win."  
  
Her and Jaal looked at each other, equal looks of shock on their faces as they stared at each other in silence, unsure how to process what just happened. "We won't let him," Jaal growled, pulling Kylie up along with him as he stood. They took off into a sprint, Jaal's head looking from the girl back to straight ahead, repeating the motion before he sighed. "I'm glad you're here."  
  
"We need to find those bombs," Jaal was out of breath as they rounded the corner and ran into the cave, "if Akksul is willing to blow up the Forge, there's nothing he won't do." He shot her a look as they came to a stop at a ledge, a strange look in his eyes. "Ryder, if he shows up..."  
  
She grasped his hand, giving it a squeeze. "I know. Trust you." He smiled at her.  
  
Sam's voice cut through their moment. _"I detect the bombs are set to go off in approximately four minutes."_  
  
"Holy _shit!_ " Kylie nearly screamed as they simultaneously jumped off the ledge, her eyes taking in the rows of bombs set around the Forge. "Holy fuck, okay," she took in a deep breath, "you guys look out for Roekaar, I'll get started on these -" Gunshots sounded in the room, the three immediately diving into cover. _"Take! Out! The! Roekaar!"_ She screamed into their comms, her biotics crackling around her in a protective shield as she ran for the first bomb to detonate it.  
  
"Walk me through it, Sam!"  
  
_"Take apart the panel on the left."_ Done. A gunshot ricocheted off of her shield, her heart hammering wildly in her chest, her hands shaking. _"Cut the first wire on the right, then the second wire on the left."_ Done. _"Now detach the wires connected on the top. That will disable the first bomb."_  
  
Her breath caught in her chest as she bolted for the next, rolling past a Roekaar who fell just as Jaal took him clean out. "First bomb down, five more to go."  
  
_"You're fucking amazing, Lala. That was quick as shit."_  
  
_"I do my best, Lola."_ Her hands trembled as she made her way through the bombs, the telltale sign of fatigue hitting her brain at how long she's kept up her biotics as a shield. Definitely overheating at this point, but she kept it up, despite the pain, until the last bomb fell and she rolled into cover, her biotics dying down.  
  
She laughed breathlessly as Jaal pulled her up from the ground once the Roekaar were dealt with and he pulled her into a tight hug. "We did it," she shook her head, exhaustion settling into her bones. He grumbled happily into her shoulder, nodding his head. "Yes, we did."  
  
"Jaal!" Teviint's cries broke them apart, their heads snapping over to her direction. "Jaal!" Tears rolled down her face as she barrelled into Jaal's chest, burying her face in it while her hands grabbed his shoulders. "I killed Lathoul! I killed him!" She sobbed, "I'm so sorry!"  
  
He pulled her into a tight hug. "He's not dead." He tilted her chin up, making her look at him. "You're lucky."  
  
She shook her head in disbelief, taking a step away from him. "I lost my mind, Jaal. I want to go home."  
  
Baranjj scoffed. "You're kidding me, right? I joined because of you!"  
  
She approached him, staring at him in wonder. "I _shot_ our brother, Baranjj!"  
  
"Don't leave me - " Akksul shoved him to the side, his brows furrowed, a dangerous look on his face. "Let her go." He stared the man down before he moved onto the woman. "I only want soldiers who are committed to our cause." His steps made their way to Kylie, towering over her. "Not weaklings who stand by and watch the destruction of our people - At the hands of _aliens!_ " He yelled into her face, his finger pointing at her.  
  
Jaal was positively seething beside her, making a move towards her, his body itching for him to protect her. Their eyes glanced up to catch a group of Roekaar standing at the top of the ledge, blocking them into the Forge with no escape in sight.  
  
Kylie scoffed, tiptoeing and staring right into his face, Jaal's heart stuttering as he watched. "You recruit _kids_ and make them fight their goddamn _family!_ " She yelled right back into his face, her hands balling into fists. Akksul scowled at her. "It's _fucking_ sick. And so are _you_."  
  
"I speak for our people," he pulled away from her, his arms stretching out as he spoke, "and I say you're done in Heleus." He threw his hand at her in a makeshift punch to the air in her direction, her eyes widening as she snapped her gun from her holster and held it out.  
  
"Ryder, _don't!_ " Jaal begged, reaching his hand out to grab her gun.  
  
Akksul laughed in wonder. "Go ahead." He walked until his chest was pressed to the barrel of her gun, daring her to make a move. "Make me a martyr." He watched her eyes narrow, her nose flared in irritation. His chest pressed hard against her gun, making her shake from the motion. "Please, I dare you. Make my cause stronger."  
  
"I made a _promise_ to a friend," her eyes flickered to Jaal, "that you're making _really hard_ to keep." She snarled. "Not to mention, I don't shoot crazy, unarmed dumbasses."  
  
His face contorted into anger, pushing away from her to face the crowd of angara gathered at the ledge. "They move onto _our_ planets, they take _our_ resources and make _us_ weak!"  
  
Jaal shook his head, looking up at the angara with anger in his eyes, his hands gesturing violently. "I've watched Ryder make planets habitable, make homes for people when there would have been none!"  
  
"Exactly!" Akksul cut in, pointing at Jaal. "And they'll never let us forget it!"  
  
"She rescued our beloved Moshae," he cut him off, shooting him a soft look. "The Moshae we thought we had lost!"  
  
"I know, stop trying to defend them!"  
  
"The Moshae trusts Ryder, and I -" A gun whipped right out and pointed right at his head, ending his words.  
  
"Stop!" Akksul glared him down through the scope of his gun, his eyes narrowed. "We've been fighting the wrong enemy this whole time," he started breathlessly, "maybe the enemy is this _traitor!_ "  
  
"Easy..." Jaal started, holding his hands up.  
  
"Jaal?!" Her gun pointed at Akksul's head, fear seizing her chest. Her legs went numb, her mind suddenly flooded with the thought of losing him. Fuck, she felt _sick_ to her stomach.  
  
"Ryder, no!" He held out his hand to the girl, his eyes looking to Akksul. "The Moshae trusts Ryder, Akksul. You've become a danger to your own people." He shook his head, his lips curled into a snarl. "Look at yourself, Akksul. You're pointing a gun at an angara. Walk away."  
  
Akksul looked around them in disbelief, his brows furrowing, his arm trembling. "Or," he started, taking a step closer to him, "I kill you and reveal the Resistance for the traitors they are."  
  
Her entire body froze, her throat closing shut as what felt like hours rolled by in seconds. The grip on her gun tightened impossibly, watching as Akksul's finger pulled the trigger and she screamed, throwing herself at him and pushing it away from his face. The shot went off as his arm fell, shooting Jaal right through the center of his broad chest.  
  
"Jaal!"  
  
Pain shot through his body as he fell to the ground on his knees, his eyes wide as he fell backward, the vision of Kylie scrambling over his body and her grabbing at him growing hazy, her screams fading out.  
  
_"Jaal?!"_

* * *

  
"I'm _so_ pissed off at you," her voice cracked as she started slowly, her head resting on his wide arm and her hand laying over his heart, the slow, steady beat of his tired heart filling the medbay. Her eyes fluttered open while a hand came up to wipe at her face, a sniffle escaping her before she could help it. "More than pissed off. I'm fucking _livid_ with your ass, Jaal."  
  
"What were you _thinking_?" She turned her head to look at him, his tired eyes shut, an oxygen mask around his nose and curving around his head, his usually vibrant skin pale. Her eyes felt heavy and tired. Ever since they got back from the Forge, she hasn't been able to sleep. She's just been sitting with Jaal for God knows how long. At this point, she's lost track of time, the beat of his heart drowning out her senses. "Taunting Akksul like that, then telling me not to shoot? Are you fucking crazy?" She shook her head against his arm. "Probably, that's why you're on my crew." Her sigh came out shaky, her voice breaking before she pulled herself back together.  
  
"Then telling me you enjoy me. What the fuck? As if I'm confused enough with the whole _Pathfinder_ thing, now I have to sit here and think about my own feelings, too?" Her hand reached out, a finger ghosting from his soft cheekbone down to his jaw, across his lips, his bioelectricity so dull her heart squeezed painfully in her chest, holding back a sob that threatened to escape her, her head twitching from the motion.  
  
A tear danced down her face, her desperately wiping at it, a bubble bursting in the back of her throat. "I enjoy you too, Jaal." An incredulous scoff came from her, the sound broken, tears rolling down her face and a snarl on her lips in disbelief. "Jesus, I enjoy the fuck outta you." Her body shifted to press her forehead to his, pursing her lips together to keep herself from bursting into gross sobs. "God, if you don't wake up, I'm gonna kill you myself."  
  
Her hands came up to cradle his jaw, her shaky, warm breathing fanning across his face. She tilted her head to press a gentle kiss to his cheek only to feel a strong, wide, warm hand suddenly pressing on her lower back. Her head snapped back to his face, his tired blue eyes slowly cracking open, a slow smirk tugging at his lips, his deep voice hoarse and warm. "I knew it."  
  
She gasped in shock, making a move to pull her body away from his, her cheeks burning a vivid red from being caught, only for his hand to press harder against her back to keep her still. His heavily lidded eyes and his lazy, cocky grin made a shiver run up her spine. "Say it." Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Say it again."  
  
"I'm gonna kill you myself?" His chuckle was pained, his other hand meeting the one resting on her back, his fingers gently rubbing slow circles at the skin there. "No, the part where you said you enjoy," his fingers ghosted slow air quotes against her back, "'the fuck' out of me."  
  
"I thought you were fucking _dead!_ " She resisted the urge to punch his shoulder and instead settled on giving it a little push and tugged away from him, his arms encircling her waist and pulling her towards him, her legs straddling his wide body. "Your bioelectricity was so dull!"  
  
He laughed this time, full-bodied and lovely, shifting to sit up when he felt his stomach seize in pain from the movement, wincing. "Angara can control the levels of their bioelectricity, dear." Her hands cradled his jaw, thumbs ghosting over his cheeks while his hands rested on her waist, his bright eyes locked with hers, his breath caught in his chest. His heart stuttered on the machine behind him, the beeps becoming uneven. "Can I kiss you?"

* * *

  
Lexi came to a screeching stop outside the medbay window, nearly dropping the stack of datapads in her hands at the sight that she came around the corner to. Her jaw fell open, her eyes wide. "Drack," she started, her eyes never leaving their focus on the window as she slightly turned her head, the man peeking from around the corner in the galley's doorway. "It happened."  
  
"You're shitting me!" He called out in disbelief, stomping his way up to her, his hands meeting the window as he took in the sight. His kid on Jaal's lap, her hands on his face and his hands on her waist, their kiss so soft and slow, their eyes shut. "Holy fuck. Goddamn." His chuckle came out hesitantly, growing into a full-body laugh as he hit his thigh. "Damn!"  
  
Lexi couldn't contain her grin as her arms came around Drack's waist, careful not to drop her datapads, her chin coming to rest on his shoulder. "Told you they'd figure it out, Drack. They just needed some time."  
  
His big hands rested over hers, a deep, contented sigh leaving him. His hearts felt heavy and happy. "It's about goddamn time. Tired of her cryin' all the time because these goddamn idiots are stressin' her the fuck out. Poor kid hardly even realizes she's supposed to feel somethin' most of the goddamn time."


	11. vicodin

The sound of her airy, happy yet nervous giggles danced through the medbay as she pulled away from Jaal, her whole face lit up as she bit her bottom lip, staring down into his ridiculously bright eyes. His pupils were so blown the color was barely visible. "You have the most wonderful laugh," he started, his deep voice soft in wonder. The look he was giving her made her shiver. "It is one of the first things I noticed about you, one of the things I love the most about you."  
  
That only made her giggle more. She buried her face into his shoulder to muffle them, her cheeks burning a deep red. His laughter joined hers, his arms pulling her flush against him, the happiest look on his tired face. She paused, swallowing thickly. The warmth she was feeling was near overwhelming and it made it hard for her to think. "Um," she hesitated, "I'm..." Her fingers lazily tapped his shoulder, one after the other. "I'm really shitty at relationships, Jaal."  
  
"I know," his voice rumbled deep in his chest. His head tilted into hers, his forehead brushing her hair. A big hand started rubbing soft, lazy circles against her back, the other arm wrapped around her waist. "That's alright with me. I'm not the best at them either, really."  
  
"The last one I was in hurt. Bad." Her icy eyes lowered to the floor, wrapping her arms around his neck. She took in a shaky deep breath, his bioelectricity humming through her. "Kinda left me messed up in the relationship department. It was with a turian named Vallien, met him on Omega."  
  
He listened so carefully to her, it made her tremble. _I don't deserve him._  
  
Her chest threatened to overflow with emotions, a trembling breath leaving her. "He's the one that gave me this scar on my face. I was fighting with him and he just..." She sighed softly, her throat feeling full. "He called me a bitch and clawed me across the face with his weird-ass talon. Liam saw the whole thing happen." Her voice was so bitter, her head shifting to press itself into his chest, careful not to touch his injury. "He pulled us apart. We were fighting in the middle of a crowded fucking nightclub, that I _worked at_. I felt mortified."  
  
"Yes," a sigh left him. "Liam has told me about this before. He told me it was important for me to know." His brows furrowed, his eyes narrowing, a hint of danger dancing through his galaxy eyes. "I would _love_ to meet this 'Vallien' guy." He reached for her face, gently bringing her to look up at him, the anger dancing in his voice and his eyes sending a shiver right up her spine, her toes curling. "He should feel _incredibly_ lucky that I am not able to meet him."  
  
The happy smile she gave him made his heartbeat flutter, the monitor revealing the discrepancy behind them. He chuckled at the noise, bringing her in for another kiss. It was just as soft and gentle and sweet as their first one, her entire body melting into his touch. Her hands landed on his hips, her eyes falling shut in bliss.  
  
The medbay doors hissed open behind them and their bodies froze. Their eyes shot open, staring into each other's eyes when the sound of Lexi's little giggle flitted through the silence. "Mind if I come in?"  
  
Kylie pulled away from him immediately. A deep flush settled across her cheeks as she extracted herself from his lap and plopped back down in her chair beside his bed, her arms awkwardly crossing over her chest. She huffed. "Sorry."  
  
Jaal, however, looked positively smug and radiant as she pulled away from him, the biggest grin on his face as he watched her sit back down. He looked a Lexi with a brow quirked, his grin growing even bigger at the happy look on the doctor's face. "I, on the other hand, am not sorry."  
  
Lexi laughed as she approached Jaal's bed, shaking her head. "Of course you're not, Jaal." She tapped his shirt. "Pull it up, let me see your wound."  
  
He nodded, grasping the hem of his shirt and pulling it up. The fabric lifted and revealed the smooth expanse of his toned stomach up to the curve of his chest, and Kylie took the opportunity for her eyes to flicker up and down his torso, her face burning from the sight. His eyes glanced over at her, his grin growing _even more_. His back slightly arched, his muscles pulling taut and she swallowed thickly.   
  
"It's healing up very well," Lexi started, her gloved hand touching the skin just outside the wound, "no sign of infection. Good." She glanced back at Kylie, a grin on her face at the way she was very nearly hiding her flushed face behind her hands. "Alright, you can put your shirt back down before the poor girl over there has a heart attack, Jaal."  
  
Kylie buried her head in her hands with a loud groan, her elbows propped up on her knees, mumbling into her small hands. "Oh, my God. Shut up, please."  
  
Jaal's deep, happy, booming laugh filled the room, his hand reaching out to pull one of hers away from her face to mingle his fingers with hers. "Do not be embarrassed, my darling. I do not mind showing off for you."

"Oh, my God." She nearly squeaked into her hand, her eyes shut tight. If she could just will them all away...  
  
_"Kylie, you have an incoming vidcall from Reyes Vidal waiting for you."_  
  
"Oh, really?" _God bless._ _Sam the Savior._ She squeezed his hand before she let go of it, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "Guess I better go see what he wants."  
  
His hand caught hers as she turned away, pulling her back towards him to bring her in for one more kiss. This one was more passionate, more deep and loving than before, her eyes fluttering shut, her hands hanging lamely in the air. He pulled away with a smirk spreading across his face and a wink, leaving her standing there flustered before she finally took off.

* * *

  
The hologram flickered to life and Reyes' figure shined down beside her. His signature smirk was already curling across his face, his hand darting up to run through his dark hair. "You look lovely tonight, Ryder."  
  
Kylie folded her small arms across her chest and rolled her eyes, leaning her side against the vidcall center. "I _always_ look lovely, Reyes." She grinned. "What do you want, Mr. Smooth?"  
  
"I'm still Mr. Smooth?" His cheeky grin made her feel flustered. He shook his head, holding up a hand. "Sloane is having a party tonight. You in the neighborhood?"  
  
Her eyes glanced to the window surrounding the vidcall center. The bright planet of Elaaden danced outside the glass, shining so bright it was almost hard to look at. She squinted, tilting her head to the side. "Uh, maybe an hour or two from Kadara. Why? You inviting me?"  
  
Reyes hummed in thought, his arms crossing over his chest. "Maybe." He cocked his head to the side. "You wanna come as my plus one? Going to a party with someone else is _much_ more fun than going alone."  
  
She snorted in disbelief. "Is this a date, Reyes?"  
  
The question made him fall silent. Silence hung in the air, the two staring at each other before he finally cleared his throat, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Only if you want it to be."  
  
Her eyes lowered, tilting her head to the side before she sighed. "Boy, you better be a gentleman. I'll go."  
  
He smirked, holding up his hands. "Why, Ryder, you say that as if I'm never a _perfect_ gentleman!"  
  
"Don't push your luck, bubs." She chuckled. "I'll see you in a few hours."

* * *

  
Music pulsed the ground from outside Outcast Headquarters, the walls trembling from the sensation. Kylie's brows furrowed as she approached the entrance, glancing around. "Sam, I don't see Reyes anywhere. Where is he?"  
  
_"He has just sent you a message. It appears that festivities are already under way and that he would like you to meet him inside."_  
  
"Oh, wow. Okay." Her heart fluttered in her chest. God, she felt so nervous. Why? Her wrist flicked up, tapping her omnitool to open the doors. After a long, long minute, they finally hissed open. She took a step inside and glanced around, her brows furrowing. Again. "Still no Reyes, Sam."  
  
_"I am certain he will show up, Kylie."_  
  
"Thanks for the encouragement." She let out a little sigh, walking up to the guard stationed outside where the party was being held. "Hey," her hands gestured lamely, a nervous grin on her face, "any chance there's a Kylie Ryder on the list?"  
  
He let out a scoff, irritation tugging at his face. "You're specifically on the not invited list, kid. Scram."  
  
An arm wrapped around her waist and tugged her against his body, Reyes grinning at the guard from beside her. He cocked his head to the side, a single lock of hair falling over his golden eyes. "Ah, that's too bad. She is my plus one tonight, Reyes Vidal."  
  
"Sloane said -"  
  
"I don't _care_ what Sloane said, my friend. She told everyone invited they are allowed a single plus one for the party." His arm squeezed her tighter, tugging her closer and tilting his head towards her with a sly grin. "This is mine."  
  
The guard fell silent. Kylie's stomach twisted, anxiety bubbling up her body, a blush dancing across her cheeks. He glared at the two in thought before he heaved a big sigh and turned to the side. "Sloane's gonna be on your ass for this, not mine."  
  
"Always." Reyes purred. His hand gently pushed against Kylie's lower back, prompting her to follow him pass by the guard into the opened doors. She shot him a wary look over her shoulder.  
  
"I have a sinking feeling we're gonna get kicked out soon, Reyes." His laugh made her jump, her giving him a solid punch on his shoulder. She scoffed. "For real! Sloane _hates_ me."  
  
He shook his head, unraveling his arm from around her waist and instead taking her hand, lacing his fingers with her small ones. "I highly doubt she'll do that tonight. This party is to make peace with the angaran locals to Kadara, so I'm sure Sloane will be on her _best_ behavior tonight."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show, Reyes." A voice started behind them, the two turning and coming face to face with an angaran woman, a big smile on her face, her hands on her hips. Her face impossibly lit up when she noticed Kylie beside him, her smile growing.  
  
"You know what I say, Keema. I'm _always_ fashionably late." Her airy laugh made Kylie's fingers tremble, the woman shaking her head at him before she raised her hand and pointed at Kylie. "Anyways, introduce me to your companion, Reyes. You don't want to seem rude, do you?"  
  
"Not at all!" He grinned, gesturing from Kylie to the angaran woman. "Ryder, this is Keema Dohrgun, the angaran representative to Sloane and..." He hesitated. Kylie quirked a brow. "A friend. Keema, this is Kylie Ryder."  
  
Her hand came out before she could process it. It faltered, slowly curling into a fist, her elbow bending hesitantly. She bit her bottom lip.  
  
The grin on Keema's face grew even more, her hand reaching out to grasp the girl's, gently uncurling her fist and shaking her hand. Relief ran through Kylie's spine. "I don't do those strange fist greetings my kind usually do."  
  
"Thank God."  
  
The angaran woman happily shook her head. "It's nice to finally meet you, Kylie. You know," she paused, her finger pressing against her chin in thought, her elbow crossing her chest. A shit-eating grin curled on her face. "You're all Reyes has been able to talk about lately."  
  
Kylie smirked, shooting Reyes a knowing look and bopping his hip with hers. "Oooh, really?"  
  
"Keema..." Reyes body tensed, his brows furrowing and his cheeks darkening.  
  
"Oh, yes. Anytime I try to talk about, say, politics, he completely changes it right back to you, Kylie. It's endearing, really."  
  
"Keema!"  
  
"And he seems rather fascinated with your, how did he put it? Your beautiful, stunning blue eyes. Like ice. He frequently comments that it feels as though you're staring right into his very soul. Adorable, honestly."  
  
When she looked at Reyes, his tan face was utterly flushed and embarrassed, his dark brows furrowed. He pointedly looked away from the two, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
Kylie bumped her shoulder against his, giving his hand a squeeze. "Aww, Reyes, that's so cute! Didn't know you felt so strongly about my eyes." She gave him a shit-eating grin when he looked back, waggling her eyebrows at him while he grumbled in irritation.  
  
"If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to, Ryder." His fingers slowly fell from hers and her dark eyebrows shot up, her hand desperately grabbing his wrist as he turned away. He glanced back at her, shock and anxiety fighting each other on her face.  
  
"Uh, where the fuck do you think you're going? I came here with _you_. I wouldn't have come if you had told me you were gonna ditch me!"  
  
"I'm not ditching you, Ryder."  
  
"That's what this looks like, Reyes. Ditching."  
  
"I'm not!"  
  
"Ditching."  
  
"Kylie -"  
  
_"Ditching."_  
  
He sighed loudly, grabbing her hands and bringing them towards his chest. "I'm doing something for both of our benefit, Kylie. Let me go."  
  
Her giggle made him smile, her bringing their hands up to her mouth to hide her big grin. "I wasn't keeping you in the first place, doofus. You're the one still standing here."  
  
Reyes groaned, pressing her hands to his face before letting her hands fall from his and taking off.  
  
"And there he goes," Keema laughed, her hand meeting Kylie's shoulder. "You do strange things to him, Kylie."  
  
Her body tensed. "I do?" She laughed, airy and soft, her arms awkwardly crossing over her chest, her thumb rubbing against her elbow. "Totally couldn't tell."  
  
"And he thinks he's the image of smooth." Keema's eyes rolled. "It's... Best if you don't worry about what he does, Ryder." She tilted her head as her hand pulled away from the girl's shoulder, her gentle smile still on her face. She's dedicated to her image, Kylie had to give her that. "He works better alone."  
  
"That's totally nice to hear." She said, sarcasm dancing in her tone.  
  
The angaran woman patted her shoulder, beginning to walk by her. "Try to have fun, dear. He'll show up eventually."  
  
Kylie felt so small as she turned around, taking in the sight of the room nearly filled to the brim. Anxiety threatened to bubble over in her stomach, her fingers trembling. There were so many people, the sound of all of their voices mingling and dancing through the air, her brain confused on which to focus on. _It's okay, Kylie. Breathe._  
  
"What are you doing here?" A deep, flanging voice rumbled behind her. She turned around, her eyes wide, the sight of Kaetus nearly making her jump. His hands were filled with drinks, his mandibles shifting in annoyance. "Thought you were on the not-allowed list, kid."  
  
"Oh, I am." She forced a smile on her face, false confidence hanging on her shoulders. "I came with a friend, Kaetus. Chill out, I'm not crashing Sloane's 'little' party."  
  
"You make any trouble, I'll hang you myself."  
  
"Of course, babe." He scoffed as he rounded her, heading right for Sloane's throne.  
  
"Sassmaster, please find Reyes for me. I feel like I'm gonna die."  
  
_"I do not detect any distress in your system, Kylie. You are not dying. Take a deep breath."_  
  
She breathed in deeply, her eyes hesitantly fluttering shut for a moment. "I know."  
  
_"I believe he has gone to a storage room outside of the room."_  
  
"Storage room?" Her brows furrowed as she took off through the doors, making her way through the hallway. "What's his punk ass up to now? I swear to God, if he's just using me for Sloane's shit..."

_"I do not believe he is using you, Kylie. He was not lying when he stated that he was doing something for both of your benefits."_

"Are you playing matchmaker, Sam?"

_"No, I am not."_

"I think you're playing matchmaker." The doors hissed open to the storage room, the sound of fabric shuffling and glasses clinking echoing through the small room as she walked in. "Fuck," Reyes breathed from behind a stack of boxes, his hand slamming against the ground. "Why can't they at least attempt to organize these by serial numbers?"  
  
"Reyes."  
  
He jumped, his head hitting the top of the box he was crouched in. A string of curses her translator couldn't pick up left him as he stood up, rubbing at his head in pain. His body froze when he saw it was her, his whiskey eyes wide. "Kylie, I -"  
  
Her hands met her hips, irritation running through her body as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, looking at the floor then looking back up, her hand coming up and rubbing her shoulder. "I'll give you five seconds to explain what you're doing before I kill you."  
  
His hands gestured wildly, fear dancing in his wide, golden eyes. "It's not what it looks like, Ryder, I promise -"  
  
"I think it's exactly what it looks like."  
  
"What happened to five seconds?"  
  
She pursed her lips. "That was one, now you have four seconds."  
  
Footsteps echoed down the hallway and they both froze. "Shit, someone's coming!" He looked at her, his eyes wide. "We - We need a distraction, something -"  
  
She yanked him down to the stack of boxes nearby, crawling into the one he had opened and dragging him in with her. "Shh!" Her finger pressed to his lips, pulling her knees up to her chest to give the bigger man some more room to fit. He shut the box behind him, his body pressed to hers.  
  
"Was someone in here?" The guard's muffled voice came from in front of the boxes, their breathing catching in their throats. "Huh. Guess not." She mumbled, grabbing a stack of alcohol and taking off. "Wonder why the doors were open."  
  
Their breaths left them in a rush of relief, Kylie's head falling back against the box. His laugh caught her off guard, lifting her head back up to look at him. "We must look like quite the sight right now." He started, his eyes twinkling in amusement. The two of them pressed together, knees up to their chests, cramped into a small box in a storage room filled to the brim with alcohol.  
  
Her laugh made him smile, his eyes crinkling in the cutest way. "Reyes, why are you in here?"  
  
"I do believe you're the one who pulled me into this box, my friend."  
  
She kicked his leg. "No, doofus. Why were you in the storage room?"  
  
"Ah." He grinned, clumsily crawling his way out of the box. _And he likes to believe that he's super smooth? Jesus._ "Give me six more seconds in addition to the four and you'll find out."  
  
"Fine," her voice was muffled by the box as she crawled out after him.  
  
Reyes climbed his way up a stack of boxes, deciding to check the one closest to the ceiling. The box came open after he tugged at it and he started to dig around in it, bottles clinking against each other. "Ah!" He grinned as he pulled out a bottle of whiskey, his face beaming as he jumped down in front of her. "Here it is!"  
  
Her eyes darted from the whiskey to his face, before her black eyebrows furrowed and she scoffed. "That's what this is about? Whiskey?" Her hand twisted at him, her expression confused. _"Whiskey?"_  
  
"It's not just 'whiskey'," he stared at her with an incredulous look, cradling the bottle in his arms like a baby. _This guy, holy shit._ "It's Mount Milgrom, the only bottle of such in Andromeda. Triple-distilled and 645 years old." His hand patted the bottle. "This isn't whiskey, Kylie. It's _treasure_."  
  
"I thought you gave Umi a bottle of Mount Milgrom?"  
  
His laugh came out sharp, a shit-eating smirk on his face. "Oh, I lied."  
  
"Of course."  
  
He grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's get out of here."

* * *

  
By the time they had actually made it up to their perch on a high platform in the busy market on Kadara, they were both hammered. It was a miracle itself they both hadn't fallen to their deaths just yet from how high up they were, the two heavily relying on each other for as much support as possible to keep stable. Kylie had melted into a pile of giggles, Reyes not too far behind the girl as they pressed their backs against each other for support. He handed her the bottle, taking in a deep breath as he stared out at the horizon, the sunset making his breath catch in his chest. "It's... Beautiful." He paused, steadying himself. "Kadara, that is. I sometimes forget."  
  
"I know," her words were slightly slurred against the bottle, her body trembling as she attempted to take a swig. Her whole body felt warm and hazy, the heat radiating off of his back only increasing the feeling tenfold.   
  
He was quiet for a few minutes, his hands folded in his lap in thought. His head tilted to the side, gently pressing his back against hers, earning a happy giggle from the girl as she curved forward from his weight. He smiled. "Is Andromeda everything you hoped it would be, Kylie?"  
  
The bottle paused at her lips, her heart dropping at his words. She carefully took it away from her mouth and handed it back to him, idly wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Her mind raced, searching for the proper words. "I..." She started, tilting her head to the side. "I never wanted to come to Andromeda."  
  
He shifted, swinging his leg over the side of the box to sit beside her this time, his hand at her lower back to steady himself. His voice was soft. "How come?"  
  
"I hated the Initiative." She felt sober as she stared down at her hands, her eyes wide, her fingers playing with each other. "I hated my dad. But they were going to leave me all alone back on Earth. Didn't want to be without my brother." She sighed. "And Liam."  
  
"I see," his hand gently started rubbing a circle into her lower back. Her heart felt tight in her chest, her lungs squeezing.   
  
They fell quiet, her eyes blurring from the sudden onslaught of tears. She wiped at her face fervently, willing herself to stay composed. At least, as much of her drunk self could possibly be. Her eyes slowly looked up at his face, sniffling. She wiped at her face again. "Why'd you come, Reyes?"  
  
His body tensed. He slowly sat the bottle off to the side of the crate, leaning forward to rest his weight on his elbows. "Truthfully," his voice sounded so fragile, so quiet, his eyes unfocused on the slowly dying down market below. He felt exposed, vulnerable. "To be someone."  
  
A small hand gently met his back, giving him a little pat before they trailed their way up his back, coming up to rest on the back of his neck. Goosebumps followed her touch, him swallowing thickly. "You are someone, Reyes."  
  
He looked over at her, his throat feeling full and scratchy. A bubble nearly burst in his throat at the look she was giving him, so sweet and gentle, something he didn't deserve. _What did I do to deserve her?_  "You're Reyes Vidal. My friend." The smile she gave him made him falter, his golden eyes searching her icy blues. An overwhelmed feeling gripped his heart, his hands starting to tremble as she held his gaze.   
  
"Kylie," he started as he pulled himself out of the trance her eyes put him in, a sudden surge of confidence and a strange feeling running through his veins, his hands reaching for hers and his heart racing in his chest. He pressed her hands to his chest, his stomach twisting. "I'm the Charlatan."


	12. all i know

"What?" Her slurred words trembled, her icy eyes searching his. When he simply stared at her, his whiskey eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape, she took in a slow, deep breath. It was more to steady herself than anything. "Reyes," she started carefully, a numb, harsh chuckle dancing behind her words, "I think you've had way too much to drink, I -"  
  
Reyes' grip on her hands tightened to a near-death grip, his hands trembling as he held hers. He shook his head furiously at her protests, reaching out a shaky hand to cradle her jaw. She fell quiet at his touch and he swallowed thickly. The shock on her face made him feel numb. "I'm the Charlatan."  
  
"You can't be serious." Her eyes narrowed, her breath catching in her chest while her heart hammered a furious pace in her throat. She felt like she was choking. A cross between a scoff and a laugh left her after a second of them staring at each other, disbelief laced in it. It hurt. "Stop."  
  
"I'm being _very_   _serious_ , Kylie." His rich voice was so soft, so gentle, fear trembling behind the words. The way she was looking at him made him feel weak, fear running through his veins and grabbing ahold of his bones. A shiver ran up his spine and he felt cold. "It's always been me. I'm the Charlatan."  
  
Kylie's small hands unwound from his. Her breath came out sharp as she turned away from him, her heart squeezing in her chest. _Just like Vallien. This is just like Vallien. I'm gonna throw up._  One of her small hands snaked through her curly hair, her icy eyes frantically glancing around at the now empty marketplace below, desperately trying to distract herself and keep herself from tearing up.  
  
When she felt him shift beside her to follow after her, her chest nearly exploded and she held out her hand. He stopped in his tracks, hurt tugging at his expression. "Let me process this." She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and immediately looked away. His face hurt her heart. She couldn't look at him. "Please." Her body moved without her thinking, sliding around to begin her slow descent down the ladder they had climbed up to their perch.  
  
"Kylie, wait, _please_ ," Reyes started frantically, crawling his way over to follow her. His foot kicked the bottle of Mount Milgrom as he moved and it toppled off the side of the boxes, landing on the ground and shattering.  
  
"How long?" Her voice felt weak when she called up at him as he started climbing down the ladder. She couldn't dare to look up at him. If she did, she knew she was definitely going to start crying.  
  
"What?"  
  
"How long were you going to wait before you told me this?" Kylie landed on the ground with a loud huff. "A year?" Her hands threw themselves up at him as he landed in front of her and she turned away from him, her steps stumbling from the alcohol still dancing in her system. "Never?"  
  
"I told you _now_ ," Reyes quipped, nearly bolting after her as she took off in the direction of the docks in a fast walk. "I... I wanted to tell you sooner."  
  
"What stopped you?" Her voice sounded bitter and hurt, her arms crossing her chest as she walked through a set of doors. Kadara has so many doors and it made her drunk head spin.  
  
"I... I loved the way you looked at me, Kylie." His hands darted out to grab her waist. She side-stepped away from his touch and turned to face him, her black brows furrowed and tears biting at the corner of her icy eyes. "I didn't want that to change."  
  
"What you just said to me, about being someone?" A breath caught in his throat. Desperation ran through his tone, his hands twisting in the air. His heart stopped when her lip quivered. "What you said about me to Zia? Shit," he breathed, his hands desperately fumbling as he hazily attempted to form coherent words through his drunk mind. "I... I couldn't keep it from you any longer, not when you thought so highly of me. I don't deserve -"  
  
"You _lied_ to me!" She nearly yelled, her hands darting up to grab a handful of her hair. Her hands tugged at her hair _hard_ and she hissed in pain. She could feel her control slowly dwindling. "You had _so many_ opportunities to tell me, Reyes!" Tears started rolling down her face, her fervently wiping them away. "I even _asked you_ if you knew who that was!"  
  
It was his turn to sound bitter, tears blurring his whiskey vision as he took a step towards her. She took a step back and his heart broke. His throat constricted, his mind racing with thoughts, regret settling deep into his stomach. "I didn't hide it from you to be malicious, Kylie!" His hands reached for her in a vain attempt and fell in the air. "I did it because you were trying to buddy up with Sloane. If she found out, she'd fucking _kill_ me!"  
  
Her small hands tugged at her curly hair, her eyes widening from the motion as she turned away from him. A bitter laugh escaped her. Her chest felt like it was being crushed. She shook her head in disbelief, a sickening grin on her face. "God, I need to go to bed."  
  
"Kylie, please -" Reyes stepped towards her again, his hand outstretched towards her. "Please." He begged, disbelief surged through his veins at the fact that he was begging her. He was ready to drop to his knees at this point if it meant she would stay. "I told you now, didn't I? I... I didn't want it to be a secret to you any longer. Please, Kylie." His body trembled as he bit back a sob that threatened to spill out, his breathing ragged. "I'm sorry."  
  
She swallowed thickly, gagging as she took off away from him again, fighting against the sudden overwhelming urge to throw up. Her stomach twisted and turned, her swallowing again and clearing her throat desperately. The alcohol and anxiety dancing in her stomach was too much, all too sudden - Her head hurt like shit and she could barely breathe, her body very confused on what she was trying to get herself to do.  
  
No answer came from her. He fell silent behind her and quietly followed after her. "If you're not going to talk to me, I'll at least make sure you make it back to your ship safely." His voice sounded completely and utterly defeated, his tone lackluster and his shoulders slack. His face fell as he followed after her stumbling steps, a sober feeling taking ahold of his body.  _I'm a piece of shit. I deserve this._  
  
Silence fell between them as they continued towards the docks, his golden eyes uselessly staring at the back of her curly head. Tears would have been rolling down his face but at this point, he felt nothing but a cold numbness settling in his bones. He accepted this. He knew this would happen, better sooner than later before he became too attached to her. _But I already am. Fucking hell._  When she faltered on a step and nearly crashed, he quickly grabbed her elbow to settle her, guiding her to her ship's ramp.  
  
Kylie forced herself to turn around to look at him as the ramp slowly ascended back into the ship, the sight of him slowly disappearing making her heart hurt. He looked dejected, sad. His usual confident air and posture completely gone, his usually perfect black hair a mess and his tan face covered in the dry trails of tears. The night sky cascaded shadows over him, accentuating the contours of his face and making him look so broken.  
  
His voice was so quiet. "I love you."

* * *

  
Her forehead was pressed painfully against the closed ramp's walls, her icy eyes shut and her body frozen. She had no idea how long she'd been standing there before her eyes finally fluttered open, her body trembling as cold slowly etched its way up her body. Indents from the wall were left on her face, her body sore. "What?" She mumbled to nobody, her eyes fluttering at the dim light in the hold.  
  
_"Kylie,"_ Sam's voice made her jump, her body hitting the metal wall with a jolt. "Ouch," she rubbed her sore shoulder and grumbled, her eyes heavy and tired. _"You have been asleep on the ramp for about forty-five minutes. Are you alright?"_  
  
Icy eyes shot open at his words. She carelessly started stumbling her way through the cargo area, her steps fumbled and heavy, her mind hazy. "Yep," she slurred, sliding cold hands up and down her face to settle herself. Her foot twisted on a step and she clattered to the floor, deciding to simply sit there and stare up at the Nomad to pass time. If she tried to stand up now, she has no doubt she'd probably twist her ankle off. Her trembling fingers toyed with themselves in her lap, a tingle dancing up her spine and goosebumps running along her skin, a shiver shaking her shoulders.  
  
_"I detect that your body temperature is lower than normal. I suggest going to your room and getting under a blanket, Kylie."_  
  
She didn't answer.  
  
_"It would be best if you got some sleep. The amount of alcohol in your system is higher than normal levels. You will continue to not feel well until you sleep it off."_  
  
Her head slowly nodded, her lips pursing.  
  
"Lala?" A warm, amused voice behind her nearly made her jump. She leaned back on her hands, licking her lips as she looked up. Long legs met her back and Liam towered over her, his hands coming to rest on her small shoulders. "What you doin' on the floor?" He started with a grin, amusement dancing in his tone.  
  
"Um," she mumbled after a second, staring at him for a long while before she glanced around the room, her brows gradually furrowing in confusion. "Not sure."  
  
He froze, his chocolate eyes narrowing. "Wait. Are you drunk?"  
  
"No." She slurred. "...Yes." A second passed and she furrowed her brows. "Yeah." Her unfocused eyes stared into his worried ones. He quirked a brow, prompting her to continue on. "No, I didn't go out to a bar and get totally hammered by myself. Me and Reyes stole Sloane's expensive shit and got hammered together."  
  
"Okay," Liam sighed loudly, wrapping his arms under her shoulders to heft her up. "Definitely wanna hear the story later, but for right now?" He shook his head. "Come on, you know better than to do that." It was ironic. He felt like his dad as he scolded her, dragging her with him through the cargo hold into the hallway. "Y'know you have problems with alcohol, Lala."  
  
"Yeaaah," Kylie mumbled, finally relaxing into his arms. Her feet skidded against the ground, her eyes fascinated and focused on the noisy things. "I know, Lola." Her black brows furrowed in thought. She glanced at the medbay as they trudged by it, her lips pursing. Her mind flashed back to a hazy memory of her and Jaal in the medbay and she sighed. "You know," a few minutes passed before she finally slurred, "I hate emotions."  
  
"Oh, I know. Those pesky things suck." The doors hissed open to her quarters without either prompting them to and he grinned up at the ceiling. "Thanks, Sam." He continued on his way to drag her over to her bed, tossing her onto it and making a move to pull off her shoes.  
  
"It's like," her hands gestured lamely as she rolled onto her back, nearly kicking the guy in the face, and stared up at her ceiling. Her words slurred into one, big, incoherent mess. "I love Jaal, y'know? Love that big shit. He's a really good shit!" Liam's chuckle at her choice words flitted through the room. "But I like Reyes, too. Like, my heart's literally screamin' at me here. Like, 'bitch, get it together!' Only, it's all my emotions, too. You know? You know. I know you know."  
  
"Oh, I know." Liam nodded his head and chuckled at her words as he pulled her boots off and chucked them cross the room. They landed with a loud thud and he moved up to grab her black jacket and tug it off her shoulders. "Arms, Lala." She stopped talking and raised them up and he whisked the clothing item off, throwing it over onto her desk chair. "You wanna change pants?"  
  
Her eyes stared down at her black legs before she slowly nodded. "Skinny jeans are _really_ uncomfortable after a few hours."  
  
"Agreed." He padded over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of pajama pants that he knows she loves to sleep in. He paused, looking from the pants in his hands over to hers, a question hanging in his mind. "Can you take off your pants or do you need help?"  
  
She sat up and uselessly fumbled with her skinny jean's button for a few minutes before she huffed, throwing her hands up. "I'm really weak, dude. I think I have six buttons, maybe even twelve and that scares me. I'm kinda scared right now." Her glazed-over icy eyes pleaded at his. "Please."  
  
His hard laugh echoed through the quiet room. "Oookay. For the record," he started as he kneeled down in front of her and placed the pajama pants on the bed, "I can see just one." She groaned loudly, the sound hurting her head, and flopped back onto her bed.  
  
Once her pants were off and the pajama pants were finally on after much maneuvering on Liam's part, she slowly rolled over and patted the empty spot on her bed next to her. "Sleepover? I wanna have a sleepover." Her question hung in the air as she pulled back the pile of blankets and wiggled her way under them, sighing at the warmth and melting into her bed.  
  
"I'll never say no to a comfortable bed and cuddling with my best friend, Lala." Liam eagerly kicked off his shoes and his pants before he shimmied under the covers with her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "So, development with Reyes? Any hot tea?"  
  
She giggled, biting her bottom lip as she attempted to form a coherent thought. Did anything even happen? She already could barely remember. "I don't know if it's the whole me being totally hammered and mad at him right now or if I just didn't hear him right," her brain finally cooperated and she paused, her shaky fingers tracing a trembling circle on his white shirt. "Maybe he didn't talk at all and I was hallucinating because I have no idea what was in that whiskey, but as the ramp on the ship or whatever was goin' up, I swear to God I heard him say that he loved me."  
  
Liam hummed in thought. His mind flickered to Jaal and he let out a shaky sigh. "Probably count on it being the you totally hammered part." He forced himself to grin, poking her chin with his finger.  
  
"Yeah, I figured." She sighed, burying her head into his chest while he grinned into her hair. "Has Jaal talked about me since I left?"  
  
Liam stuffed his face into the pillow and groaned. "Oh, my God." He sighed loudly, the noise muffled into the pillow. "Girl, he hasn't shut up about you since."  
  
Her giggle came out way happier than she expected. "For real?"  
  
"For real. Drack also pushed him up against a wall and said if he broke your heart, he'd eat his."  
  
"Aww!" She nearly squealed at the thought, rubbing her leg against his. Her smile felt like it was going to break her face. "My dad."  
  
"Oh, yeah. Total heart-warmer, there." His laugh made her feel warm and her eyes fell shut, suddenly remembering how exhausted her body felt. "You should've seen it, Lala. Jaal looked like he was ready to shit himself."  
  
She felt so giddy at his words, unable to control more giggles that escaped her, the sound muffled into his chest. They gradually died down until she took in a deep breath, letting it out in one rush of air. "Thanks for being here with me, Liam."  
  
His hand darted up and ruffled up her hair, the biggest smile on her tired face. "Anytime you need me, babe. I'm here for you."

* * *

  
Light hit her eyes and she groaned loudly, her eyes stinging as she grabbed a pillow and smushed it over her face. "Sassmaster, _please_ turn the windows off. I'm dying." The loud snoring beside her came to a slow stop at her words. The man beside her shifted to wrap his arms around her waist and squish her against him while the window dimmed back down into darkness. "Mornin', Lala."  
  
All he got in response was another groan and he grinned. He pulled the pillow away from her face and ran his hand through her black, thick, curly hair. "Bet you feel like shit, huh?"  
  
"I feel like major shit. Like, the shit itself took a shit." Her voice was rough and hoarse. Every word stung at her head, a buzzing behind her eyes. He idly wiped smudged mascara off from under her eyes as she yawned a full-body yawn. "I feel like, shit, Queen Shit."  
  
"Your Majesty," he quipped at her, nuzzling his head into her shoulder. His hair tickled her nose and she scrunched it, shaking her head and reaching up to rub her itchy nose.  
  
"Eww, I'm not Sloane." She groaned, again, rubbing at her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up more. "I feel dead, man." Her eyes flickered down to her smudged hands. "Guess I didn't take my makeup off."  
  
"Nope." Liam laughed at her dilemma, gently rubbing his hands up and down her arms. "Wanna go get some breakfast? Pretty sure you'll feel better once you have some food in you."  
  
The idea of food made her nauseous and caused her stomach to flip around, but she forced herself to nod her head. "Maybe." She paused, a slow grin crawling across her face. "You sound like Lexi right now. Mom."  
  
"God, shut up." Liam gently tugged on her arm to get her to sit up, leaning over the bed to grab his pants before swinging his legs over the bed and standing up to pull them on. "I'll _never_ be like Lexi, okay?" His laugh made her grin.  
  
"Watch it," she warned him, giving his hip a little push while a smile danced across her face. "I happen to love Mom." Kylie shook her head when he shot her a big shit-eating grin over his shoulder, throwing her legs over the side of her bed and standing up unsteadily, grabbing her nightstand to steady herself when she nearly toppled over again. "Think it's okay for the Pathfinder to walk around in her pajamas today? Don't feel like changing."  
  
"Hell yeah," he turned his back to her and crouched down. "Alright, hop on. One first-class ticket to Liam Kosta Express." His hand clenched into a fist and he pumped it in the air, waggling his dark eyebrows. "Choo choo."  
  
She nearly squealed with laughter, punching his shoulder as she jumped onto his back. His arms locked under her legs, her arms wound around his neck, and they took off. "That was _sooo_ cheesy." Her chin tucked into his shoulder, her giggle muffled into his neck, the biggest grin on her tired face.  
  
"Yeah, but you laughed, so. Win for me."  
  
His coiled hair tickled her nose. Her hand reached up to toy with one of the strands, the other lifting to wave at an amused Lexi in the medbay as they passed by. The galley doors hissed open and Drack quirked a brow at the sight, a grin on his face. "You've arrived at your destination," Liam grinned, wiggling her off of his back and depositing her into one of the galley's metal chairs.  
  
"Mornin', kid." Drack reached out to run a hand through her curly black hair, stopping to wipe at her face when he noticed another black smudge of mascara. "Where were you last night? Didn't see you come back in when I went to get some shuteye."  
  
"Having fun," Kylie mumbled under her breath, pulling her legs up to her chest and pressing her back against the chair's backrest. "Or, at least, trying to."  
  
"I'll say," Liam added in from his position at the fridge, bottles clinking as he rummaged around in it. "Found her on the cargo floor last night around three in the morning totally zoned out, just staring at the Nomad."  
  
She huffed and threw a dismissive hand in his direction as he grabbed a few things and made his way over to the stove. "I was _admiring_ it. It's a good vehicle."  
  
"Sam told me you tripped and decided to camp out there 'cause you couldn't stand back up, Lala." He turned one of the heaters on the stovetop on and sat a frying pan on it, turning to grab a bowl.  
  
"You know - Whatever, Lola."  
  
The galley doors hissed open and Jaal waltzed in, his whole being lighting up at the sight of Kylie curled up on one of the chairs. "Darling one!" He started excitedly, rushing over to pull her into his arms. The girl squeaked, nearly falling off of the chair before he grabbed ahold of her and supported her weight. "Good morning." He murmured sheepishly, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek.  
  
"Aww," she couldn't contain her happy giggle, squeezing him as tightly as she possibly could, "good morning, you big, purple, ray of sunshine. Missed you!"  
  
"I missed you too, my dear." He positively beamed as he kissed her, the girl melting into his touch. "I... I did not see you last night. Where were you?" His hands lingered on her small shoulders as he reluctantly pulled away from her, his bright blue eyes taking in her tired face, makeup smeared all over. "Were you hurt last night? Do I need to hurt someone?" He questioned, gently poking a black line under her eye before wiping it away with his thumb.  
  
"I forgot to take off my makeup last night, don't worry." She giggled, her hand reaching up to cradle his jaw. Her heart fluttered when he leaned into her touch. "Reyes..." She hesitated, a sudden flashback of what happened last night making her feel sick, her eyes briefly widening before she forced herself to relax. "He invited me to this party Sloane was having last night, so I ended up really hammered and I couldn't find my way back to our ship."  
  
"Reyes invited you out?" Jaal started in disbelief, his face utterly falling. His shoulders fell slack and a look of hurt flashed across his face. "You... You went out on a date with him?"  
  
"No, no, no!" Her mind panicked and she leaned forward to press her forehead to his. She very nearly fell off of the chair from the motion, his hands darting out to grab her waist and steady her. "It wasn't a date, Jaal. Nothing happened." Her thumbs ghosted over his warm cheeks. "I'm not _that_ shitty at relationships."  
  
"She called you the best shit last night, big guy. Pretty sure she's serious with you, man." Liam grinned from his place at the stove, hissing noises coming from the frying pan in front of him, waving around the spatula in his hand for emphasis.  
  
"I did _what?_ " A strangled noise escaped her throat. She stared at Liam in utter disbelief.  _Did I do a shit ton more last night than I remember? Oh, my God._  
  
Jaal's happy, booming laugh echoed through the small galley, warmth dancing up her spine from the noise. "I'm the best shit? That's nice to know." He waggled his eyebrows at her, leaning in to kiss her again until -  
  
Her omnitool pinged. They both sighed.  
  
_"Kylie, you have a new message from Reyes Vidal."_  
  
"Jesus Christ," she grumbled loudly, falling back into her seat as Jaal hesitantly released her from his grip and opted to sit beside her. She flicked her wrist up and turned on her omnitool, her brows furrowing as she opened it, melting into the angaran man's side as his big arm snaked around her. His bioelectricity tickled her elbow and she giggled, his smile pressed against the back of her head. She brought her other hand up to cradle the side of his face, her thumb brushing behind where his ear would be.  _Now that I think about it, angara are weird as shit. He's my weird shit now, I guess._

> _Kylie,_
> 
> _You have every right to be mad at me. I knew this was going to happen and I understood that it would, but that doesn't change the fact that it hurt watching you walk away from me. Jaal's a very lucky man._
> 
> _I'm sorry. I wish things could be different. I wish that I wasn't who I am and I was the person that you loved. Maybe in another life..._  
>    
>  _If you can ever find it in your heart to forgive me, you know where to find me._
> 
> _With love,_  
>  _Reyes_

A bubble burst in her chest, a shaky sigh leaving her as she stared at his closing line. Her heart _hurt_. With love? Her lip trembled, barely holding back a sudden rush of emotions. She's so tired of emotions right now. Her omnitool pinged again. Another message came in this time from Keema, her teary eyes widening as she tapped it open, no subject in the title.

> _Pathfinder,_
> 
> _I'm not exactly sure what happened between the two of you last night, but Reyes is refusing to meet with any of our contacts, starting indefinitely. He's ignored all of my emails and my calls. I've tried to visit his little room in Tartarus, but he isn't answering me. I'm worried about him._
> 
> _Please see if you can find out what's wrong with him._
> 
> _Yours truly,_  
>  _Keema Dohrgun_

Jaal's arms wrapping around her shoulders and the slight rumble of his deep voice against her back brought her back to reality, her hazy mind fumbling to take in her surroundings as she looked over her shoulder at him. "Hmm?" She mumbled, reaching out to touch his cheek when he smiled.

"I lost you there for a moment, love." He murmured, leaning in to give her a quick, soft kiss. His hands cradled her jaw, thumbs brushing under her eyes to wipe away a small tear that escaped her eyes. Worry danced across his face, his mouth falling open and his brows furrowing. "What's wrong, darling one? Did something happen?"

Her head shook fervently, rushing to close her omnitool. "It doesn't matter now." She sighed shakily, leaning into his touch and placing her hands over his. "I'm tired." He shifted until her body faced him and he pulled her into his lap, his arms wrapping around her and hugging her against him. She melted into him, her head falling into his shoulder and her eyes falling shut, her arms wrapped around his neck. His bioelectric hum nearly threatened to make her fall asleep, her body utterly relaxing.

 _"Ryder,"_ Gil's voice flitted through their comms. She jumped from the noise, her head hitting Jaal's jaw hard. He grunted in pain. "Sorry!" She rubbed her hand on his chin, earning a big smile from him. "It's okay, darling one." Her brows furrowed and she shot a pointed glare at her omnitool. _"I've got that transponder you wanted me to look at. When you have a minute, come on up. Gotta see you."_

"I literally can't catch a goddamn break."


	13. clarity in kerosene

"So," Kylie started from her perch on her chair in front of the vidcall center, her crew gathered around her. "I called you guys here to discuss this flagship shit," Her legs crossed at the ankles and her arms were hidden in her big, oversized Initiative hoodie that, actually, belonged to Liam. The sleeves were empty and her arms were crossed under the hoodie across her chest. "I'm gonna take Jaal and Drack with me for the actual thing."  
  
Jaal hummed in agreement with her decision, his arms folding over his chest. Liam indignantly huffed beside him, his hands grasping at the air in confusion. "What?!" Liam scoffed, his dark brows furrowed. "You're not taking me with you?" He stepped towards her. "Lala, this is big. I _need_ to come."  
  
"I know," she pointed her small foot at him, her chair partially swiveling to the side from the movement. Her other foot tiptoed her chair back to face him. "We're both hot-heads, Liam. We don't think." She maneuvered one of her hands free from her hoodie and tapped her head. "If I take you with me, we'll feed off of each other and do reckless shit. Lexi would have a heart attack, and God knows she doesn't need two of us coming back into the medbay this time."  
  
"I really would," the doctor quipped from her chair across the room, her eyes focused on the book in her lap, her finger folded between pages in preparation to flip to the next.  
  
Liam groaned. "Drack feeds off of you in a bad way too! You do reckless as fuck shit with him, too!" He pointed an accusatory finger at the krogan. Drack sighed loudly, falling down into an empty seat with a loud huff.  
  
"And _I'm_ the Remnant expert, Ryder! _I_ should be going!" Peebee quipped in, her hands slamming on the table.  
  
Kylie rolled her eyes, examining the nails on her free hand. "You say that as if I don't have an AI in my head that does all of the Remnant expert shit for me. Love you Peanut Butter, but I'm not taking you with me this time."  
  
"Whatever, Kale!" Peebee threw her hands up, pacing away from her in irritation.   
  
"Kid," the krogan started, glaring daggers at Liam. "I'm reckless as shit anyways. Doesn't matter who I'm with. I'm too old for these goddamn childish fights over who gets to go on what mission. She's your Pathfinder, don't fight her."  
  
"Actually," Lexi started, setting her book down on her lap. "I think he's more careful when he's around Kylie. He's got something to protect when they're out on the field together. Can't protect his kid if he's dead." She smiled, a warmth dancing in her eyes as she stared at the old guy. He looked flustered, toying with something on the floor with his foot. "When you and Drack come back from missions, he's got fewer injuries than usual."  
  
Kylie all but beamed in her seat, all giggles and big smiles. "Aw, gramps, you're so cute!"  
  
"Oooh, Drack loves his wittle girl!" Peebee quipped in when she rounded Kylie's chair, wrapping herself around the back, the movement from her causing the chair to spin around in circles. Giggles rose into the air from the two as they turned into a blur.  
  
"Shut up. I hate each and every one of you." He paused. "Except Kylie."  
  
"Knew it!" Kylie grinned, biting her bottom lip. Amusement twinkled in her eyes as she pointed a finger at him, the motion disappearing in a spin of blur.

* * *

  
"Holy fuck," Kylie let out a slow, deep breath, awe dancing in her voice. "Is that..." Her small fingers ghosted across the galaxy map. "Is that the salarian ark?"  
  
Quick footsteps sounded behind her. "We found the goddamn salarian ark?" Drack said in disbelief as he leaned over her shoulder, his hands resting on her small waist, awe laced in his deep voice. "Holy shit."  
  
"Sassmaster, I really need your skills right now. This is bad." She sighed, folding her arms over her chest. Her teeth worried her bottom lip as a hologram of the salarian ark flickered to life in front of her. Her hand rubbed at her temple, catching on her twin braids. "Goddamn. The ship's tethered to the flagship."  
  
Jaal's brows furrowed. His hands uselessly fumbled in the air as he stepped closer to the girl. "What can we do? Is there even anything we can do?"  
  
"I... I don't know, really." Her arms lamely fell to her sides. She stared at the hologram for a few seconds, her fingers ghosting over its image before she sighed. "Sam, connect me to the Moshae."  
  
_"On screen."_  
  
Moshae Sjefa's face lit up and Kylie gave her a happy smile. "Hey," her voice slightly trembled. "Haven't really gotten a chance to talk to you since the whole, y'know, kett facility thing. And Akksul." She tilted her head and shrugged. "You know."  
  
_"I know! It's terrible, really. I'm so glad to see you are doing well and moving again. When I saw you in that coma, I was really worried. It didn't look good."_  
  
"I know. I'm glad you've recovered, too." Her hand tucked her braid behind her ear as she spoke. It slowly fell over her shoulder, her fingers following its trail. "We've located the Archon's flagship. Only, it's... Kinda really complicated." Her nose scrunched up. "I wanted to make sure we knew what we're looking for."  
  
Moshae Sjefa nodded her head as Kylie spoke. Her finger tapped at her chin.  _"It was a large Remnant relic depicting Meridian. It's in his private chamber - His 'sanctum', he called it."_ Her head glanced to the side, a soft sigh escaping her. _"He's very proud of that relic."_  
  
A shit-eating grin tugged at her face, her hands landing on her hips, confidence radiating off of her. "Just wait until I get my grimy little hands on it." Her hand darted up to wiggle her fingers at the hologram. "He'll lose it. Thank you, Moshae."  
  
The combined deep laughter of the two behind her only made her grin grow bigger. Moshae Sjefa smiled, shaking her head. _"I appreciate what you're doing for us, but, please, be careful."_   Her brows furrowed, worry in her big eyes. _"I've seen the Archon's cruelty. I can only hope that you do not."_  
  
"Yeah," she sighed, shaking her head, "that makes two of us. Thanks for your help, Moshae. I really appreciate it."  
  
_"Of course. Stay strong and clear, my dear."_  
  
Kylie took in a steadying deep breath and turned to face her two squadmates. Her eyes idly looked from Drack to Jaal, slowly nodding her head in thought. "Okay, we play all our cards right, we make it out of here with the relic and the salarian ark."  
  
"What if we do not play 'the cards' right?" Jaal's fingers ghosted air-quotes while he quirked his brow at her, tilting his head.  
  
"Cora will be our new Pathfinder, then." He rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips. She turned back around and pointed at the hologram of the ark again. "I say we get onto the ark, check out what's going on, then get into the kett ship through its tether."  
  
_"That is a very feasible approach, Kylie. Currently, I detect that Ark Paarchero is on standby. Only its stasis facilities are online."_  
  
"Oookay, what about the salarians?"  
  
His robotic voice hesitated to answer her. That made her heart tremble. _"Unknown."_  
  
Her shoulders fell. Hands touched her waist and she jumped, releasing a breath she wasn't aware she was holding in. "You heard the Moshae," Drack started, grabbing her waist more firmly this time. "The Archon hurts people, kid. It's all he does. Don't blame yourself if by the time we get in there, the salarians are dead."  
  
"I... I know, Drack. But if he's done anything to them?" Kylie turned to face them, her brows furrowing and her expression growing darker, a dangerous snarl tugging at her lips. She was _pissed_. "If even one little teeny-tiny article of clothing on their bodies is even _slightly_ disturbed, he'll find out what _we_ can do. Specifically what a pissed off little biotic girl with an AI in her head can do."  
  
"Ryder," Kallo started nervously behind them, his swivel chair spinning around as he stood up. His fingers fumbled with each other as he approached the trio, the saddest expression on his face. "These are _my_ people. Whatever you need, you have it."  
  
"We'll get them back, Kallo. I promise."

* * *

  
The sound of their boots echoed through the silence of one of Ark Paarchero's welcoming rooms, her scanner quietly buzzing in the background as they made their way through. The place looked... Trashed, really. Datapads and containers were thrown about, the furniture scattered. Eery. Though, no signs of battle, just panic. "Tempest," she started into her comm, "we're in."  
  
_"No unusual activity from the kett ship yet, Ryder."_   Kallo's voice clipped in response and Kylie nodded her head, a soft sigh leaving her as she turned over a datapad. "Good. Hope it stays that way."  
  
_"Ryder,"_ Sam's voice started as she picked up another datapad. _"If you can access a terminal, I can most likely assess Ark Paarchero's situation."_  
  
Her icy eyes flitted around the room before landing on a terminal in front of the ship's viewing screen and she smiled. Easy. She approached it and tapped the hologram spiral hanging in front of its screen.  
  
_"One moment."_ The terminal beeped to life. _"Additional data encryption has been added. I am working on decrypting it."_  
  
"Additional? Why additional?" Her fingers tapped the console in thought, her elbow propped against it and her head resting on her fist. "That's weird."  
  
_"It's a cryptography key associated with their intelligence services."_ A beat. _"I have unlocked it."_  
  
The screen in front of them flashed red, warning signs popping up and covering the vast expanse of the hologram. Her jaw dropped. _"Warning,"_ a salarian voice started through the terminal, the slightest panic trembling in his voice. _"This is Captain Hayjer of Ark Paarchero."_   She glanced over her shoulder at her squadmates, the same look of shock on their faces. _"If you are receiving this message, hostile aliens have captured our ship. Please look for our Pathfinder, Zevin Raeka. Situation urgent."_  
  
"Let's go find them, kid." Drack nodded his head as he headed for the door towards the side of the room. His steps were quick, fear in his voice. "We need to hurry. This sounds bad."  
  
_"Overriding bulkhead door."_   Sam's voice chirped, the doors gradually hissing open.

* * *

  
_"This salarian shows no vital signs."_  
  
Kylie stared down at the corpse, her breath catching in her chest. Her heart felt heavy. Everything's so... Wrong. This shouldn't be happening right now. "See anything to identify this poor salarian?" She called out, looking around as the other two searched through Ark Paarchero's medbay.  
  
"Over here," Jaal called out from beside a terminal up ahead. She walked over to him, her hands grasping at a terminal beside one of the beds. "Okay," her fingers tapped at the screen, the machine flickering to life. "Anything, Sam?"  
  
_"The salarian is identified as Pathfinder Zevin Raeka."_  
  
"Fucking hell!" Frustration hit her hard and she kicked a nearby box into the wall out of frustration. It broke apart from the impact and scattered around the vicinity. Her biotics crackled around her for the briefest second before she took in a sharp breath, her hands grabbing at her braids. Jaal's hand met her back and she glanced over her shoulder at him, her hair falling from her hands. "Breathe, Kylie."  
  
"Sorry." She shook her head harshly, willing herself to calm down. "Our goddamn luck." His hands met hers and she sighed shakily, her voice wavering. "How did they die, Sam?"  
  
_"A brain embolism while in stasis."_  
  
"Youch." His hands squeezed hers and her heart squeezed in her chest. "Bad way to go."  
  
_"However, Initiative records indicate Pathfinder Raeka is female. This patient is male."_  
  
Her hands fell from Jaal's and she smiled, relief dancing up her spine, her legs relaxing. "So, she's still alive?"  
  
_"There is a possibility that she is still alive."_  
  
"God bless, let's go find her."

* * *

  
"There's alotta missing stasis pods," Drack hummed as he walked by a pod row, his brows furrowing as he took in just how many were missing from just that row. The other two made their way through the rows of stasis pods ahead, searching through the little window on the front for the salarian they were looking for. "Like, a shit ton."  
  
Kylie glanced back at him, staring at him for a moment in thought. "Y'know, I'd like to believe that they maybe jumped ship before the kett got on board." Her fingers ghosted over one of the salarian's pods, taking in the way they looked as they slept a sleepless sleep in cryo. Her heart ached in her chest. _I'm so sorry. Definitely not something you should wake up from cryo to._  
  
"Captain Hayjer's message says otherwise, my dear." Jaal's deep voice shook her from her trance as his hand met her back and steered her away from the pod, noticing the way her chest hitched the longer she stared into the pod.  
  
She tearfully smiled up at him, gratitude in her icy blue eyes. She wrapped her arm around his and laced her small fingers with his the best she could, curling up against his arm. Her other hand lightly gripped his elbow, a dreamy sigh escaping her. "Can't a girl hope, Jaal?"  
  
"Yes, they can." He grinned down at her. His big hand slowly trailed down her black braids and he leaned forward, kissing the top of her head.  
  
"Over here, you two lovebirds. Making me sick," Drack grumbled from up ahead, pointing up at one of the pods on a row stationed on the wall. "This is our girl."  
  
"Let's get her out of there."

* * *

  
A gasp ripped from her lungs as she shot up, her hands patting the area around her bed, frantic. "Hey," Kylie started, gently grabbing the girl's shoulders. "Relax, take it easy. You just got defrosted."  
  
Raeka took in a deep, wavering breath, her eyes staring down at her legs. She shook her head, forcing herself to look up at Kylie. Her brows furrowed, her large eyes narrowing as they trailed from one person to the other. "No, no need. Salarian stasis recovery is nearly immediate." She gasped when her eyes landed on Jaal, her body tensing up.  
  
"This is an angara," Kylie started carefully as she rounded Drack, taking ahold of Jaal's arm when she noticed the salarian tense up. "He's friendly, don't worry. He knows I'd have his ass on a platter if he misbehaved." Her eyebrows waggled and Jaal scoffed.  
  
He bowed his head, slowly bringing up his hands. "I truly mean no harm. I am here to help to the best of my ability, Raeka."  
  
Raeka's big eyes focused on Jaal. She took in a deep breath, nodding her head before she finally forced herself to look at Kylie again, her eyes darting up and down the small girl's body. "Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Kylie Ryder. Human Pathfinder, I guess." The salarian's eyes narrowed, confused. Her head tilted to the side, her eyes darting around the room. "Um, where's Alec?"  
  
Kylie's body froze. She sighed, crossing her arms. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest when she felt Drack and Jaal look at her, able to see the saddest look on the krogan's face out of the corner of her eyes. "Dead." Her answer was curt. It still hurt to talk about him. Not because she loved him, but because of the title pushed onto her that she still didn't want.  
  
The salarian's eyes squeezed shut and her head fell. Her hands balled into fists. "This is wrong." She gasped as she forced herself to stand up, stumbling for a few steps until she steadied herself, heading over to a terminal nearby her bed. "This is... Madness. Stasis was a mistake," she shook her head violently, tapping at the hologram as the terminal came to life. She bit back a wave of nausea washing over her. "Should've never agreed to it."  
  
"What're you doing?" Kylie's voice was soft as she followed after the salarian, pausing a few steps short of the terminal.  
  
"Seeing what I've woken up to."  
  
Raeka took in a shuddering breath, hands grasping the terminal. She leaned over it. "A hostile species," her words trembled, "an armada, set upon our ark. Our captain saw no choice but to surrender." Her head slowly turned to look at Kylie, her eyes vividly reliving the memory. "Said we'd live to fight another day. Shoved me into stasis, switched me with some other guy to protect me." She sighed. "I shouldn't have let him."  
  
"No," Kylie held out her hand, gently laying it on her forearm, "you definitely should've let him. He saved your ass so you could continue to fight for your ark, lead your people."  
  
"A Pathfinder doesn't sleep it off in stasis while her people die." Raeka's eyes narrowed, challenging her, her swallowing thickly to hold back the surge of emotions in her throat. Her big eyes looked blurry, Kylie retracting her hand.   
  
Kylie's head cocked to the side. "A _good_ Pathfinder does her best. We can't save everyone, Raeka." Her hand reached out and grasped the salarian's hand this time, her voice heavy. "I've learned that the hard way."  
  
She shook her head, her gaze lowering to the terminal. Her eyes squeezed shut. "You're right. I'm sorry. It's... It's been hard so far. Andromeda isn't what we were expecting it to be."  
  
"Yeah, no joke there." Kylie took in a deep breath. "We're gonna head into the kett vessel to gather some info on them. Wake up a flight crew while we move and ready the ark for escape, okay?"  
  
Raeka slowly nodded. "That'll be no trouble. I'll also work on freeing the ark, so that way you can focus on your objective."  
  
"Raeka," Her voice came out slowly, her dark brows furrowing. "You don't need to do that. Don't put yourself in danger. We can handle this."  
  
"Nonsense." Her head shook, her fingers tapping away at the terminal. "It's easy, don't worry. Get going, I have a feeling we don't have a lot of time left before they realize something's off."  
  
Kylie gave her a thumbs up as she took off towards the door. "Good luck, Pathfinder."  _It felt good to have someone else join me with that title, now._  
  
"You too, Pathfinder." Kylie's stomach twisted at the words. _Oh boy._

* * *

  
_"Ryder,"_ Raeka's bright voice suddenly beaming in over their comms made Kylie jump back a step. She drew her gun up immediately at the air, her body tensing and her heart racing furiously. "Holy shit," she breathed deeply, holstering her gun once her senses returned and shaking her hands out. _"Ryder, over here."_  
  
Kylie looked over. Raeka and a group of salarians were standing in front of one of the many doors in the flagship, the salarian girl waving her over. Her hands gestured wildly as she approached the group, confused. "I thought you were on the ark?"  
  
"Too many of our people are missing, Ryder. Something's wrong." Worry flitted through her words, her hands wringing themselves in front of her stomach.  
  
Hayjer spoke up beside her, taking a step forward. "If we don't find them now, we never will."  
  
"This is Hayjer," Raeka gestured to the salarian. "Captain of our ark. We'll focus on the rescue while you push ahead."  
  
Kylie reached out and grabbed Raeka's hand, her brows furrowing. "Stay safe, Raeka. We need you, okay?"  
  
"I know." Her hand squeezed the girl's. "You stay safe too."

* * *

  
"Holy fuck." Kylie was speechless as they ran through a set of doors into the Gun Battery, coming face to face with many, many giant guns pointed directly at Ark Paarchero. "Are... Are those guns? Oh, my God." She felt weak.  
  
_"Yes, they are. The offensive armaments of a highly capable warship."_  
  
"Goddamn," Drack took in a sharp breath at Sam's words, his gun hitting his shoulder. "All pointed at the salarian ark." Her body froze in her steps, hyper-focused at the guns, her jaw agape. Her nose twitched, her nostrils flaring as she fought a wave of panic rushing over her. His hand met her shoulder in an attempt to ground her, her eyes wide and locked with the guns. _If I fail, all those people die. Holy fuck._ She couldn't breathe. "I can see you on the verge of a panic attack, kid. They haven't gone off yet. Relax."  
  
Jaal's big arms wrapped around her small waist, squeezing her tight and hefting her up. She crashed back down into reality at that, letting out a breathless chuckle as he spun her around before carefully setting her back down. He took her hands and pressed them to his chest. "Breathe, my love. We need you here."  
  
"I-I know. I know." She took in a shuddering breath. "I'm here."

* * *

  
A wave of nausea hit her hard, her hands coming up to cover her mouth as she gagged. Bodies upon bodies of salarians laid out in the open, scattered in clumps across the floor like they were roadkill. Her throat felt gross and full, gagging when she looked at them more closely. They were all cut open, various organs missing. "Holy fuck. I'm gonna be sick."  
  
_"Their organs are missing. Many appear to have died after the operation."_  
  
"After? They were _alive_ while it happened?" Jaal felt breathless at Sam's words. His eyes glanced over at Kylie, tears glossing over her icy blue eyes. Anger bubbled in his veins at how sad she looked and he growled. "Kett _butchers_." Emotion tugged at his voice. "They don't know the word _mercy_."  
  
"We're just animals to them, only good for harvesting," Drack grumbled behind him, crouching down to examine one of the salarian's corpse closer. He gagged at the sight. He warily stood up, looking over only to see Kylie fall to her knees.  
  
"I... I failed them, didn't I?" She gasped, holding back a sudden sob. Her lip quivered, her hands falling down to clasp one of the corpses' jaw. "They're dead because I... I didn't make it here in time."  
  
Drack rushed over to her, falling to his knees and pulling her away from the corpse. "No, kid. It ain't got anything to do with you, trust me. Even if you'd been here before their ship was captured, I bet you there still would've been salarians caught and tortured. The Archon _tortures_ people. It's what he does." She relaxed into his arms, grabbing at his armor, desperately trying to hold herself together. _Shit, I forget that she's just a kid, sometimes. They shouldn't have to deal with this._  
  
He carefully guided her to stand up, Jaal's hands landing on her shoulders for support. "Come on, kid. Let's grab that relic and shove it up the Archon's ass. He'd probably love that."  
  
The screams of a salarian behind the glass barrier sounded, the three jumping from the noise. Kylie reached for her shotgun as anger filled her entire being and she stormed the glass, slamming her gun against it as hard as possible, the metal hitting the glass with loud bangs. Her body jolted with every hit. "You sick ass _motherfuckers!_ " She screamed, Drack joining in on body-slamming the glass.  
  
" _You!_ ” Jaal yelled as loudly as he could, shooting at the window in a fit of blind fury. The scientists behind the glass jumped, looking at the angry group with wide eyes. “Do you hear me in there?! I’m going to kill you _myself!_ ” A kett in a lab coat stumbled over to the window's controls at their yelling, fumbling desperately with it for a few seconds. The glass gradually faded down to blackness, hiding the torture going on behind it.  
  
“You _fucking_ cowards!” Kylie screeched, holstering her gun and slamming her fists into the glass. She was punching the glass so hard, her knuckles started to burn.  
  
“Bastards! You can’t fucking hide!” Drack growled, headbutting the window. Her surroundings dimmed down to nothing, only focused on the fact that a salarian was being tortured right now and there was _nothing_ she could do to stop it, her fists punching and punching until blood started to trickle down the bumps, a bruise blossoming over them.  
  
Drack’s hands grabbed her wrists, pulling her away from the window and out of her trance. “Come on, kid. There’s no point in this anymore. Let’s go.”

* * *

  
_“Kylie, caution -”_ His words came to a screeching halt as an orange field surrounded them in seconds, curling around their arms and legs and holding them hostage mid-air. Their guns clattered to the floor and her heart froze in her chest, fear numbing her legs. “Are you shitting me?!” She managed through struggles, her voice pained. “Some kinda immobilizing field? What is this, a sci-fi movie?”  
  
“It’s useless to struggle.” Their eyes snapped ahead, her icy ones widening, anger dancing behind them. The Archon slowly waltzed his way up to them, his eyes darting from the krogan to the angara before they landed on the human, his undivided attention focused on her. She felt so fucking sick at the sight of him, she was amazed she didn't throw up seeing him. “I’ve been in this forsaken cluster for decades, surrounded by amoeba.” He slowly walked around the group, his eyes narrowing on Jaal.  
  
“Then you arrive. A _human_. Able to do the unthinkable.” He rounded Jaal and approached Kylie from behind, his eyes sizing her up. If she hadn't been immobilized, her hands would be mocking him behind his back already. Her eyes rolled hard. “You even evaded me. Impossible.” His voice rumbled as he rounded her, facing her full on.  
  
The anger in her icy blue eyes was almost enough to make him shiver. “Such an unlikely rival.” He stepped closer, her lips curling in disgust and her nostrils flaring. “It was almost invigorating to have one. And yet, it’s a fitting end.”  
  
She spit on him, anger and venom radiating in her voice. “I hope you fucking _choke_. I hope the sounds of all of the people you _killed_ haunt your dreams, your every _goddamn_ step.” Her voice rose with each word until she was nearly screaming the words into his face. He idly wiped his face off with the back of his hand, utterly disinterested in her inane rambling. Her lips curled into a sick snarl. “I hope you see their souls leave their fucking eyes as they fucking die and that it _ruins_ you, you fucking _monster!_ ”  
  
His hand wrapped around her throat, grip so tight she saw stars. Her words stopped, a strangled noise ripping from the back of her throat. Drack growled loudly behind her, struggling even harder against the field. “If you do anything, if you even touch _one fucking hair_ on her little goddamn head, I’ll fucking kill you myself!” He snarled, panic rising in his throat. Jaal tensed, his whole being rocked with so much anger, he could barely see. He uselessly struggled against the field, his whole body trembling. “Do not touch her!” His translator fumbled, his next words coming out in a rush of heavily accented Shelesh.  
  
The Archon sharply twisted her head from one side to the other, his grip tightening when she pointedly unfocused her eyes, refusing to look at him. “Interesting.” He hummed idly, his hand fumbling at his belt then jamming a needle into the back of her neck. She gasped, the noise wretched and pained, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as he injected a dark substance into her. Pain etched its way from her brain into her spine, her whole body gradually tingling.  
  
“You motherfucker!”  
  
“Kylie!” Emotion tugged so heavily at Jaal’s voice that her heart wrenched in her chest. “You _villain!_ You... You _monster!_ I’ll kill you myself!”  
  
He casually nodded his head, slowly collecting a sample of her blood once the substance had been fully injected. “A first sample. Your testing begins now, human. Fun.” His smirk made her skin want to melt away, disgust rolling up her body. She felt gross. “I haven’t had a chance to test a human myself.”  
  
Her eyes slowly fluttered open, a pulsing feeling dancing its way through her head and neck. “Fuck you.” She snarled at him, her mouth pulling back to show off her teeth.  
  
“Save your strength.” The Archon slowly turned away from her, taking slow steps. He glanced over his shoulder. “Human.” She glared him down every step of the way until he disappeared.  
  
“Kylie,” Jaal started behind her, panicked, his breathing heavy. “Are you okay?”  
  
“I... I don’t know.” She swallowed thickly, her eyes glancing around the room. It definitely looked like some kinda testing room, cots and machines scattered around the dark room. “Sam, what’d he inject into me?”  
  
_“I am sensing a biological transmitter in your bloodstream. I am attempting to neutralize it."_  
  
“Uh, okay, that sounds ridiculously scary. Please keep that up high on your list of priorities.” Drack agreed loudly behind her. “How do we get outta this field?”  
  
_“The containment field only interacts with living matter. If you were to expire, the field around you will extinguish until manually reset._ _As you know, my access to your physiology allows me to enhance your vital signs when required. I can also do the opposite.”_  
  
Kylie gasped. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, Sam!" Her words stumbled out of her in a rush, her eyes wide. "I know I say I wanna die a lot but I don’t mean it _literally!_ I don’t wanna die right now!”  
  
_“After stopping your heart, I would immediately attempt to resuscitate, of course.”_  
  
“ _Attempt_ being the key word!” She groaned loudly, her eyes darting around the room. Dread wrenched her stomach and she felt sick, her limbs falling numb in fear. “There’s literally no other way, is there? Holy shit.”  
  
_“No, there is not.”_  
  
Tears bit at the corner of her eyes, the thoughts of this being her last time alive with Drack and Jaal making her stomach twist and fumble around. Her heart raced furiously in her chest, so loud she could barely hear. “I..." Her shoulders fell in defeat, fear twisting her insides. Her mouth trembled. "Okay.”  
  
“You’re shitting me, kid.”  
  
“No, I’m not.”  
  
“Kylie,” Jaal’s voice rang in heavy with emotion, the tell-tale sign of tears stinging his blue eyes. “Please don’t do this. I can't lose you, I-I can't, not now -”  
  
“I have to. I’m so sorry. I’m literally so sorry.” Her eyes flooded with tears and she bit back a sob. Being unable to wipe away her tears only made her cry more, her eyes squeezing shut so tight it almost hurt. Her words came out in a rush, scared that she would drop dead any second. They had to know _exactly_ how she felt about them, because she's always shit at showing how she feels and they  _need_ to know, before it's too late. “I’m sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. I love you both so much. Drack, you’ve helped me through so much and I’m so grateful for you. I don't say that enough. I know I act like a little shit a lot but it’s because you’re the big shit and I love you."

"Kid..."

"No, please." She breathed. His voice sounded so sad it _hurt_. "You’ve helped me through some of my darkest times and you’ve helped me grow so much. I feel like if I knew you back during my darkest time back on Omega, I would've never been in that situation to begin with. You've helped me become the person I am today." Her voice broke, her eyes lowering to the ground. "You’re literally the dad I needed when I didn’t have one, the dad I've always wanted. I love you," she sobbed, curling into herself in the field, "Dad."  
  
“Jaal," her voice broke. _Oh, God._ "I... I love you.” His soft gasp _hurt_. “I know I haven’t said that yet, but I do. I really do. I really, really, really fucking do. I love you so much it _fucking_ hurts. My heart feels calm when I'm with you, like I can just... Relax. Let go. My whole body _hurts_ when I look at you, in the best way." The softest laugh broke through her sobs. "Oh, my God. Whenever I see your face, it’s like the clouds part and I can feel the sunshine again. I get this sense of warmth that I’ve never experienced before and it’s so _weird_. I don't deserve it.” Sam’s voice started in her ear, him using their private channel so as not to disturb her goodbyes.  
  
“I’ve been _so_ fucking depressed and having you with me and me being around you makes me feel... Normal. Like I’m a normal, happy, sappy, in love person. I’m so lucky and grateful I fell, well... More like crash-landed into your life." Disbelief tugged at her trembling words, leaving her in a rush. "You didn't have to trust me. You didn't have to fight for me, you didn't have to help me prove myself to Evfra and you didn't have to volunteer to join my fucking ship and," she swallowed thickly, a wretched sob leaving her. "I don't deserve you. I love you. I love you so much. I love you so, so, so fucking much. I love y-”  
  
Her body dropped dead to the floor and his heart stopped.


	14. eye of the storm

Running around on Halloween with James, dressed up as superman and superwoman, sound effects made with tongues, capes flying and childish laughter echoing through the halls of their first home. Late night pizza, curled up in a clump with James while Mom talked about how much she loved this new show she'd started watching last week.

She wasn't sick then. The last time he came home from N7, tears twinkling in his starry eyes and a pain hidden behind his voice. He was scared. The last dance recital before she graduated she saw him in the crowd for the first time, her heart breaking in half.

Sitting down at the family table, somber. She was sick. Flying to Omega, hands in Vallien's. Hands covered in red sand, unable to breathe. Tattoos covering up the marks, hiding in shame. The breakup, her heart aching, Liam's hands intertwined with hers as he pulled her away, blood. Getting the phone call. Her final day. He cried so much. He cares. Who is he? Alec. Dad. _Dad_. "You're not done raising hell yet," a ghost of a whisper, the tone familiar, and a push.  
  
Her body shot up with a wretched gasp. Her surroundings were hazy and muddy, her hands trembling violently as she brought them up to stare at them, her eyes blurred over with tears. Her heart beat so furiously in her chest, her entire body was shaking, the feeling overwhelming. Everything _hurt_. She couldn't stop shaking. Muffled voices called from behind her, her gaze fixated at her trembling hands. _Are these mine?_ What happened? Her throat felt a strange noise in it, something soft and weak. A whimper. _I'm whimpering? What?_  
  
"Kid!" Drack's deep voice slowly hazed into her mind, her eyes slowly looking up from her hands and staring straight ahead at nothing. Her arms wrapped desperately around herself, the sudden memory of where she was and what just happened hitting her _hard_. Sobs violently wrecked her body, hard and relentlessly, and she curled into herself in a vain attempt for comfort. "Kid, it's okay. Breathe." _I died._  
  
"You gotta get up, kid." Everything hurts. _I died. I died. Oh, my God. I died._ "Kylie." It felt like she was stuck in a slow-moving bubble, her breathing ragged. "Kylie, You gotta get up and disable this field, kid. Please. You're killin' me over here. I can't do shit while I'm stuck in this field. You're breakin' my heart, please -" _I died._  
  
Her mind desperately fought against her body, her legs slowly willing themselves to stand, her body utterly reluctant to follow. Sobs crashed hard at her body, shakes and trembles uncontrollable as she stumbled her way to the console, hands desperately gripping the counters for support. The ground didn't feel real. Every step was stumbled and heavy, her body weak. _I died._  
  
A small hand reached out to touch the hologram, _oh, oh, my God - That's mine,_ the terminal slowly fading to blackness. It felt like she was going to fall through the floor at any second, a glitch in the matrix. _I died._  
  
_I died._  
  
Big arms surrounded her in seconds, nearly crushing her against his body. _Who?_ Her blurry eyes slowly opened. _When did I close them?_ The sight and warmth of Jaal surrounding her nearly overwhelmed her. His touch only made her cry even more, her throat aching and her eyes burning. _I was dead._  
  
"I died," her words were a soft whimper muffled into his chest, his arms squeezing her impossibly tighter. The deep rumble of some strange noise sounded in his chest, reverberating right into hers. She shivered. "I died, Jaal. I died."  
  
"I know," his voice was pained, hit with tears, his arms curling around as much of her as possible. Her legs gave out and he slowly lowered them to the floor, his arms and legs wrapped entirely around hers, holding her in, holding her down. Grounding her. His big body dwarfed hers, nearly cocooning her in. "I know."  
  
"I died," her words whispered against his lips, a pained whimper escaping the back of her throat as he pulled her in for a deep, tear-filled kiss. It didn't feel real. He didn't feel real. _This isn't real. I'm still in cryo. I'm dreaming._  
  
"You're alive." He kissed her again, an urgency in his tone. "You're here with me." This is real. Another kiss. "You're alive, my love." It's real. "You're alive. Breathe." _It's real._ His forehead pressed against hers, hard. Disbelief filled him, his entire being trembling with the thought of her being gone. _No, no. She's here now._ His arms squeezed her closer, legs tightening around her body, holding her in his grasp. _She's alive. She's here. She's alive and here with me._ "Do not _ever_ do that again."  
  
His thumbs wiped away her tears, her breathing trembling as she smiled so softly up at him, his lungs constricting. An ache squeezed his heart. He thought he'd never see that lovely smile ever again, her eyes crinkling and her nose scrunching up, cute, his favorite thing in the universe. "Thank you," she whispered, her blue eyes roaming his face, drinking him in. He still didn't feel real. It feels like she's still in cryo, dreaming of all of this happening. Her mind felt fucked up, panic stinging her heart for the briefest second. Her words felt heavy. "I love you." A shaky breath. "I love you."  
  
"I love you, so much." His voice cracked, his hands grasping her jaw and kissing her desperately. Bioelectricity freely flowed from him into her, his wild emotions storming his heart making him unable to control it. She winced. "I love you so much," he sighed into the kiss, his words trembling between frantic kisses, "you don't even know, my darling Kylie, love of my life." He breathed, "please don't _ever_ leave again."  
  
"I won't."  
  
"Hey," Drack started softly behind the girl, his big hands landing on her small shoulders. "My turn. Back off, lover-boy."  
  
Jaal smiled so hard his face hurt, carefully unwinding himself from her limbs and standing up, gently guiding her with him. The krogan pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, his chest trembling as he fought back a sudden surge of emotions. "You die again, I'm bringin' your ass back and killin' you first. Then I'll bring your ass back again just to yell at you for doin' it."  
  
She giggled, the sound so soft, so airy, so lovely, her arms hugging him tightly. It still doesn't feel real. "You're gonna make me cry again, Dad." Her voice broke, a soft sob hitting her. She rubbed at her eyes, fervently wiping away her tears. He gently pulled away from her, his big hands on her small shoulders, just staring at her, taking her in. "I've wanted to kill that goddamn Archon because of what he does. Now? This is _personal_." Drack growled, pressing his forehead to hers for the briefest second before he turned to walk away, his hand grabbing hers. "Let's get out of here, kiddo."

* * *

  
Disgust hit her stomach hard, twisting her insides and making her nauseous at the sight of rows upon rows of salarians in some kind of giant containment pod filled with a green, glowing liquid, the people inside of it frozen, some half-mutated and others just mangled beyond recognition. She gagged. "What... The fuck?" Her hands trembled, willing herself to calm down as her hand ghosted across the glass of one. Their eyes were open wide, staring aimlessly straight through the glass, almost into her soul. It felt like their eyes followed them around the room. She shivered.  
  
A sharp gasp came from up ahead. Kylie looked over, her brows furrowing. Drack's hands pressed against one of the pods, his eyes wide in shock. A low growl sounded in his throat, anger suddenly gripping his hearts. "Is... Is that a krogan?" Jaal started, his hand reaching out to touch the glass. Her eyes followed his hand and she felt _sick_. It _used_ to be a krogan. Now it looked like some kinda mutilated kett-krogan mix. Her heart hurt. This is horrible.  _Oh, my God. No._  
  
"Not anymore it isn't. It's one of _my_ scouts," Drack grumbled low, the noise slowly growing until a growl ripped from his throat, kicking a container in frustration. It broke in half, pieces scattering from the impact. "He's figuring out how to turn _my_ people!"  
  
_"The DNA is krogan, but drastically altered. It's clear the kett are closing in on successfully exalting the species."_  
  
"I hate these guys _so_ fucking much." She growled, her stomach flipping and her breath catching as she stared at the exalted krogan. Goddamn. _Fuck_. She turned on her heel, her head starting to hurt. _I'm so sorry. I'm so tired of this place. I feel like I'm still dead. Better be one hell of a nightmare._

* * *

  
"We made it," Drack's voice rang in with awe, walking in a slow circle, his arms outstretched as he took in the place. The Archon's chamber was... Huge. That's an understatement. It's _enormous_. Her eyes widened, taking in the surroundings. "Holy shit."  
  
"Captain Hayjer," Kylie started uncertainly into their comms as she approached a relic suspended mid-air, her hand sliding along it as she started walking down the room. "It's Ryder. We've reached the Archon's sanctum."  
  
_"Give the word and we'll set off the EMP. Should disable the guns,"_ his voice came back through the comms. "Got it." She nodded.  
  
"Okay, guys," she turned around and reached her hands out to tap the two's shoulders, nodding her head. "We're looking for a Remnant Relic. Map of Meridian, whatever." She shook her head. "Not entirely sure what it looks like, so let's get cracking."  
  
Jaal's mostly learned to just nod his head and go along with her idioms anymore, rather than tilt his head and ask her what the fuck she just said. He followed after her while Drack took off down one of the pathways, their eyes flickering from one artifact to the other. "It's like he's obsessed with the Remnant, Jaal." Her voice cracked, her voice soft as she took in one of Sam's readings of a relic, her brows furrowing. "Most of this is just... Junk."  
  
His hands met her waist. "You can't attempt to process why a madman does what he does." He said, one of his hands reaching out to touch one of the junk artifacts, the other squeezing her small waist. His one hand took up most of her waist. _She's so small._  "It would be akin to me asking you why you use the idioms you use."  
  
"Shut. Up." She melted into a flurry of happy giggles, punching his shoulder. He smiled, big and happy and she rolled her eyes at him. The girl turned away from him, amusement dancing in her eyes and cupped her hands over her mouth, calling out to the krogan on the other side of the room. "See anything over there, Dad?"  
  
"Not yet," his answer came back loud, shaking his head. An artifact came soaring up through the air, a curse escaping him. "Just useless shit."  
  
"The Archon's anger will only get worse if we pull this off." Jaal said, taking his hand off of her waist and taking off further down the room.  
  
"Good. I hope it drives him insane. Can't wait to see him flip a switch when I get my little hands on his 'precious map'."  
  
His booming laugh made her face feel warm. "I love you."  
  
She smiled, the sweetest look on her face as she stared at him, her voice soft. Something's definitely changed in her. "I love you, too."  
  
"Hey," Drack called out from the end of the room, waving his hand. "Over here. Look at this, kid."  
  
Excitement ran through Kylie as sprinted over to him, her jaw falling open at the sight of the relic. A brilliant blue symbol glowed in the center of a dark, Remnant-like cylinder, an eery noise emitting from it. "Wow," she breathed, holding out her scanner. "Sam, see what you can get."  
  
Her gloves began to glow a faint orange light, her hand being snapped up to it, her scanner closing and extending her fingers. Small orange circles wrapped around her thumb, index and middle finger, pulling her closer. She gasped, a tingle running through her hand, her icy eyes wide in wonder and awe. _"I'll overlay the chart we uncovered on Eos."_ Sam said as the cylinder levitated and started to turn, her eyes widening as stars danced through the room, lights sparking in front of them.  
  
"Is that...?" Jaal trailed off, taking a step closer. The map overlay lined up perfectly with the relic's, a center point marked right in the dead center. The missing piece of the puzzle. _Meridian._ The light formed into a pointed object, slowly twisting and turning until it fully formed a small hologram. "It's Meridian," Kylie said, breathless.  
  
_"Coordinates secured, Kylie."_  
  
"So that's what you're after." The deep, familiar voice behind them grabbed their attention, the three turning around and immediately grabbing their guns. Jaal and Drack seethed beside her, taking a step forward and in, blocking her from the Archon's view.  
  
His hologram slowly approached them, holding his arms out as if daring them to try. "There's more to Meridian than you know. Changing the weather is a fraction of its power," his steps came close to Kylie, phasing through the two, the creature pausing to glare her down. "I will not allow you to defile it."  
  
"Defile it?" Kylie's laugh was sick, angry. "Isn't that what you've been doing, ripping apart Remnant ships and taking useless junk from it and claiming it's 'artifacts'?" She holstered her gun to ghost air-quotes with her fingers, anger sharply biting at her heart, stepping up even closer into the face of his hologram. No fear. "You have no idea what you're doing. You're fumbling in the dark, hoping for an answer to whack you in the face. You won't get one, dumbass."  
  
His hologram tensed, his brows furrowing dangerously. "If it wasn't for the artificial intelligence in your head, you would not have gotten this far."  
  
"Oh?" Her laugh was sharp and hard, her hand hitting her knee in utter joy, amusement twinkling in her icy blue eyes. "Uh, because that's such a _bad_ thing, right? Boohoo, this little girl has an AI in her head that makes her smarter than me. She can figure out Remnant and I can't, waaah." Her small fists twisted near her eyes, mimicking a baby crying. "You wish you had an AI in your brain." Her finger tapped her head, her eyes narrowing. "Maybe, just _maybe_ , your kett kids would respect you just a _little_ bit more. Or at all." She cocked her head to the side, a shit-eating smirk curling her lips, cocky and confident. "I've heard the recordings."  
  
"Enough!" The Archon hissed, his hand swiping at the air in front of her face. She didn't even flinch. "I've seen the results of your DNA in our laboratory. I know what makes you special." He leaned even closer to her, his hologram's nose almost touching hers. The look in her eyes made him shiver. "Meridian is mine. I've tolerated you long enough." He sharply turned away from her. "Once your vessels are destroyed, you'll be stranded here. And you will die."  
  
Kylie whipped up her omnitool. "Captain, fire the EMP now!" She yelled into the comms, grabbing her gun. _"Done!"_  
  
The ship jolted from sudden vibrations hitting it, their steps stumbling from side to side as all of the artifacts around them fell, electricity dancing through the air as the EMP rocked the entire ship. Warning sirens boomed throughout the room, red lights flashing in every direction. "Uh," Kylie hesitated to speak, slowly grabbing her gun from her holster. A loud roar sounded from the opposite side of the room and she slowly looked from Jaal to Drack, panic slowly rising in her voice. "What was that?"  
  
The ground shook as something stomped towards them, the sight of the mutated krogan coming into view and jumping off of a ledge, rolling in front of them, a gun in his hand. "Aw, you gotta be shitting me!" Drack groaned, pushing Kylie out of the way. "Get outta here, kid. I've got this."  
  
_"Kylie,"_ Sam's voice flitted through her head as she ran from the mutant and pulled herself up one ledge, rolling into cover as kett stormed into the room, gunfire exploding around them. _"I would advise against using your biotics until Lexi can inspect your implant. I cannot detect a connection between it and your brain. It's probable that you dying severed the connection."_  
  
"Oh, that's just fucking great!" She grumbled loudly, taking out an anointed right before he could erupt in a flurry of gunshots. Her eyes flickered over to see Jaal run and slide behind a desk, kett trailing after him. She started to pick them off with her sniper rifle.  
  
"Krogan!" Drack's voice echoed through the room as he charged the mutant, the briefest hint of panic and pain mingling in his voice. He didn't want to hurt him. _Oh, my God. My heart hurts so much right now. This is so wrong._ "Stand down, krogan! You don't wanna do this, kid!"  
  
The mutant didn't listen. He charged and took a swing that Drack had only barely missed, his gun scrapping the side of his shoulder as he rolled to the floor and slid away. He hopped back up to his feet, both hands gripping his gun. "Krogan!"  
  
_"I don't think he can hear you,"_ Kylie said softly into their comms, her brows furrowing. Another kett fell and Jaal ran over to join her in her cover, his side pressing to hers. _"I'm sorry, Dad."_  
  
"Krogan!" He ignored her, desperation in his tone. His body dodged another swing, swiping his gun against the mutant's and knocking it out of his hands. "Goddamn it!"  
  
_"Drack,"_ Jaal shook his head, him fumbling to find the right words. _"I... I have been in this position before."_ His deep voice was soft, emotion pulling at his words, his hand reaching out to capture Kylie's as he spoke. Her eyes softened as she watched him speak, her eyes lowering to stare at the ground. _"They are not us. They are no longer the person they once were after they have been exalted. They are kett and they listen to the Archon. I'm sorry."_  
  
Drack cursed under his breath, slamming his fist _hard_ into the wall as he darted by it. "Goddamn it!" He yelled, charging directly for the mutated krogan, his hearts constricting painfully as his mind flickered over each and every one of their faces. "Which one am I killin'?" He asked to no one, his brows furrowing as he slammed the butt of his gun against his head and grabbed his chin. "Shit, kid. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve this. You were a damn good krogan. _Fuck_." He sighed shakily, pressing the gun under the krogan's chin and pulling the trigger. No hesitation. Lifeless. The body crumpled to the floor and a part of him felt empty.  
  
A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he glanced over his shoulder. "Dad," she said softly, grabbing his arms and pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry. We gotta move."  
  
_"Kylie, there is little time to waste. You need to leave this ship."_  
  
"I know." He hummed, his eyes squeezing shut, holding back the tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "Fuck," his breath came in sharp, "I know." He shook his head. "Let's go."  
  
They made it only a few steps out of the Archon's chamber before Sam's voice interrupted them, stopping them dead in their tracks.  
  
_"Kylie, a moment."_ She paused, cautiously looking at the two behind her. Jaal quirked a brow.  _"I'm picking up krogan life signs onboard the ship. Several captives are being held not far from your location."_  
  
Her eyes shot wide open and she turned to look at Drack. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Sam interrupted them.  
  
_"They are scheduled for exaltation."_  
  
"We gotta get them, kid!" He nearly yelled, desperation and panic laced his words, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her for emphasis. "We gotta stop this, kid. They can't die. They shouldn't die."  
  
"Sam, do we have enough time to get there and leave before the kett restore power?" Her hands reached up and laid over his, her brows furrowing, slightly looking off to the side as she spoke.  
  
_"If you act,"_ he hesitated and it made her feel nervous, _"quickly."_  
  
_"Ryder,"_ Raeka's voice buzzed in through her comms and her heart stopped. Panic in her voice, her words fast and quick and quiet, like she was hiding in cover. _"It's Raeka. I - I'm pinned down. Don't think I'm going to make it."_  
  
Her heart wrenched in her chest, her mind swimming. Dread hit her _hard_ , her icy eyes slowly widening as she realized what was going to happen.  _Oh, my God._  "Where are you?"  
  
_"Near holding cells."_ Her voice grew softer, a near whisper. Kylie had to strain to listen to her, hold her breath in, the noise too loud.  _"They're keeping several of my people captive here. They're still alive."_ A pause. _"I ordered Captain Hayjer back to the ark."_  
  
"Raeka!" She nearly yelled, her eyes widening and her brows furrowing, pacing a fast pace in the hallway between the Archon's chamber and Antechamber. "Holy shit! You should've gone with him, Raeka! What are you thinking?!"  
  
_"No! I couldn't leave my people, Ryder!"_  She took in a shaky breath. _"I had to try. And now... I think it's over."_ Tears hit her eyes and she gasped, the sound wretched. _No. "From one Pathfinder to another, farewell. Raeka, out."_  
  
"Raeka!" She screamed, hitting her omnitool as the connection to her comms faded down. Tears stung her eyes. "What the fuck?!" Her biotics crackled around her, her brain pulsing painfully before the electricity died down, her breathing fast and ragged. "Oh, my God. Sam, please. Talk. Something, anything. Give me somethin' to work with, _please._ " She grabbed her braids, pulling them as her pacing increased in speed, her feet burning a path into the ground.  
  
_"There isn't time to save both, Kylie. Once the kett restore power, you'll be trapped."_  The AI hesitated. That  _hurt_. _"You need to make a decision."_  
  
Tears started down her face. She yanked hard at her braids, enough to make her eyes pop from her head, her skin itching with some overwhelming feeling. She wanted to itch her skin off. Her hands trembled furiously, kicking at loose debris on the floor as her mind and heart raced. "God _fucking_ damnit! What the fuck?!"

She brought her hand up to her face, biting her wrist _hard,_ fighting back the panic attack that threatened to take over. An indentation was left behind from her teeth. She sniffled hard, shaking her head. A shuddering deep breath. Her eyes met Drack's sad ones and her heart broke in half, her heart taking over and making the decision for her. No second thoughts. Her hand grabbed her gun, yanking it from its holster and taking off. "I-I'm so sorry, Raeka."

* * *

  
_"Kylie, the kett are close to restoring the ship's power. I would recommend immediate extraction."_  
  
Kylie nodded furiously, exhaustion biting at the edges of her eyes. "Tempest, prepare for immediate topside extraction." Her voice was heavy, tiredness pulling at the strings while she motioned for the krogan to bolt ahead, Drack leading the pack of them. She stayed behind, leaning her forearm against the wall, taking in a deep, shaky breath and pulling up her omnitool. 

 _"_ _Kylie, you need to leave."_  Her body shivered at Sam's words, her eyes fluttering shut. She let out a ragged sigh, every movement making the bubble in her throat worse, her heart squeezing in her chest. 

"Raeka," she slowly started after a long, painful silence, her eyes searching the wall as she spoke. "Raeka." Her voice broke when she got no answer, tears biting and blurring her vision.  _Please don't be dead. Please._  This is too much. _"_ _Kylie."_ If an AI could express feelings, she could've sworn he sounded worried for her. His monotonous voice took on an air of fear, almost.  _"You must leave. If you do not leave, you will die."_

Her nose twitched, a gasp escaping her before she could help it. "Please, Raeka. Tell me you're still there." Her hand banged against the glass, pain rocketing up her forearm. "Please. Anything. _Please._ "

 _"Kylie, get your goddamn ass over here!"_ Drack's voice breaking through their comms interrupted her broken begging, her eyes glossing over with tears. Her head laid against her forearm, a soft sob leaving her.  _Would it be so bad if Cora took over? I feel so tired. I'm so tired. I messed up._ "Raeka, please -"  
  
The comm static answered her, gunfire and explosions sounding in the distance, then dimmed down to nothing.  _I couldn't save her. I let her die. I left her for dead without a second thought. I don't deserve to be Pathfinder. I'm a piece of shit._  
  
Her forehead slammed against her forearm, her head swimming. She bit back a gross sob. "Goddamn it. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Raeka. I wish I could've saved you. I'm so fucking sorry -"  
  
A hand gently tugged her away from the glass, big arms wrapping around her and hefting her up. Warmth spread through her while her legs wrapped around Jaal's big waist, his hands grabbing under her thighs to hold her up. "You're okay, darling one. You'll be okay. We need to go."

 


	15. alive

The moment they made it onto the Tempest, she was out. No hesitation, one step onto the ramp and she crashed right on the cargo hold floor. Fatigue and exhaustion, not to mention _mental_ exhaustion, hit her heavy, unable to keep her eyes open for longer than a minute at a time.

A vague feeling of someone carrying her flickered in her memory, the air thick and heavy. She's never felt this tired before in her life, not even after the kett exaltation facility. _A four-day long coma sounds so good right about now._  
  
Warmth enveloped her and her eyes slowly fluttered open, her vision blurry. A blanket was wrapped tightly around her small body - No, not a blanket. Blue flickered at the edge of her vision. Jaal's rofjinn. The fabric warmed her from the inside out, her melting back into her medbay bed with a loud, happy, contented sigh. "Thanks," her voice was hoarse, the feeling of a large hand resting over hers on her stomach. His bioelectricity hummed against her hands, a sigh escaping her. "You're so sweet."  
  
"Only for you," his deep voice made her relax even more, the girl teetering on the edge of sleep. "I told Lexi to hold off on any scolding for right now." He spoke so softly to her, his thumb rubbing the softest pattern over her hand. "You need sleep. Go to sleep, my love. Drack is handling his scouts and Captain Hayjer."

Fabric shifted beside her and his body came close to hers, a smile dancing across her tired face as he kissed her cheek so softly, like he was afraid if he fully kissed her that she would break. "Everything is taken care of." Her hand reached up to cradle his jaw, keeping him there, her head slightly turning towards his and her eyes slowly peeking open.  
  
"I love you." Her voice managed softly after a moment of thought. His smile made her feel impossibly warm, happiness dancing its way up her tired body. He tilted his head to capture her in a soft, deep, loving kiss, their eyes falling shut. "I love you, too." He mumbled into her lips, a smile pressing into the lazy kiss. "Sleep."  
  
She patted the bed beside her. "Only if you hop your fine ass over here and take a nap with me."  
  
A brow quirked at her and she smiled. "I highly doubt the two of us will fit in it at the same time, darling one. The beds in here are rather small and I am..." His eyes flickered down to the bed, his lips pursing. "Very big."  
  
"Yeah, you really are." A grin tugged at her lips as she scooted over to the edge of her side of the bed. He rolled his eyes. She patted the mattress once more. "We can make it work, I'm a tiny girl. Big guy, tiny girl. Perfect."  
  
"Is that a challenge, darling?" He chuckled, soft and airy and deep, the sound making her feel relaxed as he bent down to take his shoes off.

"Maybe," she quipped, waggling her eyebrows at him. He laughed a full-body laugh this time, her favorite, the biggest smile on her face, his booming laugh echoing through the medbay as he kicked his shoes off and stood. "Very well."  
  
It took quite a bit of maneuvering, a lot of wiggling and scooting on her part, but he finally fit. She shifted, rolling on her side and throwing her leg over his hips, her head resting on his big, outstretched arm and her hands resting on his chest, right in the middle of the dip. He grasped his rofjinn and positioned it over the two of them in lieu of a blanket. "Told you we could make it work."  
  
He laughed, looking down at her through heavily lidded, bright blue eyes, his pupils blown. His thumb ghosted over her full lips, lightly tugging at her bottom lip, his movements lazy and soft. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, his deep voice laced with awe. "I'm a very lucky man."  
  
"Yes, yes, you are." She grinned, scooting up his body to kiss his chin. "And I'm a very lucky girl. Like, really lucky." She brushed her fingers along his jaw, the biggest smile on her face. "Like, stupid lucky. Hard to believe I had to go to another galaxy to find my soulmate."  
  
"Soulmate?" He stared at her in awe at the word, his eyes slowly flickering up to stare at the ceiling, falling quiet in thought. "Yes," a smile slowly crawled across his face, lazy and happy. "We are soulmates, aren't we? My _talshae_."  
  
"Talshae?" Her words were mumbled into his neck, her eyes heavily lidded, resisting the sudden urge of sleep pulling at her. Her arms stretched over his chest, her back arching as a yawn ripped through her, her body rubbing against him. His bioelectricity flickered, tickling her stomach from the hand laying on it. "My translator fumbled, babe. What's that mean?"  
  
"Lover."

* * *

  
It's official. She's taken his rofjinn from him _indefinitely_. It's the most comfortable cape she's ever worn in her life and the blanket it makes? _Incredible_. The sleep she just got? Best thing _ever_. She felt amazing.  
  
Her eyes slowly fluttered open, absent-mindedly stretching herself out, the fabric bunching around her chest from the movement. The most delicious warmth was beneath her, her hands rubbing at her eyes before she finally remembers, _Jaal_. His loud snores came to an abrupt stop, the man shifting under her as she sat up, her legs straddling his body. His rofjinn collapsed around her hips, covering his stomach.  
  
Jaal's big hands ghosted over her hips, the motion sending a shiver up her spine, his hands coming up to fold under his head, the biggest smirk on his face. "Good morning, talshae."  
  
Her smile was impossibly big as she leaned forward and kissed him, her hands cradling his jaw. "Morning," she murmured against his lips, kissing him again. His hands unwound themselves from behind his head and landed on her hips, squeezing them tightly. Her body relaxed, thoughts leaving her mind as she sighed into the kiss, her hips absent-mindedly moving, the softest groan escaping the back of his throat.

"Oh," she gasped as she came back to her senses, immediately stopping and pulling away from the kiss, her face positively burning. "Oh, God. I'm sorry."  
  
He pressed her hips down _hard_ with his hands to keep her from leaving, grinding her against him again, a soft, sharp gasp escaping her. "Don't be." He smirked, his blue eyes heavily lidded. _Oh._  
  
"But," she was breathless. He did it again and she nearly lost it, her back arched, her eyes fell shut and she bit her bottom lip, hard. "We're in the _medbay_ , Jaal."  
  
He pursed his lips, his eyes narrowing. "Sam?" He purred as he tilted his head to the side, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
_"Yes, Jaal?"_ _You robotic traitor._  
  
"Dim the medbay window and lock the doors." _Oh, my God. Holy fuck._  
  
_"As you wish, Jaal."_ The lock sounded behind them, the window to the side of the room falling dim until it became totally black. _"If I may add, it is about 0300. Almost all of the crew is asleep. I shall take my attention processor elsewhere for the mean time. Have fun." You robot traitor!_  
  
"Now, where were we?" He murmured, slowly sitting up and pulling her flush against him, her arms falling around his neck and his hands hovering just above her ass. Her face burned so hot, she could've sworn she was probably turning a million different shades of red in the span of seconds. He leaned in, ready to pull her in for another kiss until her hand pressed against his chest.

He leaned back immediately, his brows furrowing and worry on his face as she hesitantly started. "I... I don't want this to sound weird, but are we even... I don't know. 'Biologically' compatible?"  
  
His warm laugh made her feel even more embarrassed, him pressing his forehead to hers. The look in his eyes was so soft, so sweet. _Fuuuck, he's got me in deep_. "I have been researching this." _Oh._ _Oh, wow._  "We are _very much_ biologically compatible, my love." He hesitated, his confident air faltering. "That is... Only if you want to, of course. If you don't -"  
  
"No, no, no!" She grabbed his face, pulling him back towards her, their noses bumping from the impact. She sighed, her eyes squeezing shut. "I do. Very, very much. Trust me. I'm rubbish at showing feelings, just ignore me."  
  
His hands fell lower at her words, grabbing her ass and squeezing it _hard_. She made a sound akin to a squeak, nearly jumping from how fast it went from zero to one hundred. _Am I seriously ready for this? I don't even know._ Her hands roamed over the back of his head, her fingers tracing soft lines across the flaps, eliciting the softest sigh from the angara. His head tilted into her touch, his hands sliding up the back of her shirt, his bioelectricity sending goosebumps up her back.  
  
She felt his fingers fumble at her back, desperately trying to figure out how to undo the clasps of her bra without letting her know he was struggling. She grinned. "Need some help, big guy?"  
  
"No." His fingers continued fumbling, cursing a word her translator couldn't pick up under his breath, tilting his head over her shoulder to glance down at his hands. "Aha!" He grinned in triumph, the clasps coming undone and the straps of her bra falling apart. He grasped the hem of her shirt and pulled it off of her in one fell swoop, tossing it carelessly across the medbay.

His eyes took in the smooth expanse of her small body, the gentle curve of her stomach, freckles dotting her skin, his heart skipping a beat. _She's beautiful._  "I... I have to admit," he started as he gently pulled her bra's straps off of her shoulders, "angaran women do not have... These."  
  
"Tits?"  
  
"Yes, _tits_." He tried the words on his tongue as he slowly removed her bra, swallowing thickly as he tossed the garment over his shoulder, his eyes hyper-focused on her chest. They look... Soft. Strange. It excited him. They moved when she moved and his breath hitched.

"They're fun, here." She grabbed his big hands and cupped her boobs with each, squeezing his hand to show him what to do. She gasped as he did, grinding her hips down against him at his touch. "Yeah, like that." Her thumbs pressed against his, causing his thumbs to swirl over her nipples, a soft, breathy moan escaping her.

His bioelectricity tickled, her body slightly jumping from his touch when he let out a particularly strong current. "Squeeze it, lick it, kiss it, whatever, anything." She's going to pretend she didn't hear the near-desperation in her tone, her body shivering under his intense gaze.  
  
A shudder ran up her spine as he leaned forward, slowly swirling his tongue over one of her dark buds, his eyes looking up at her and watching her so carefully as his lips captured it. Her eyes fluttered shut and her back arched, her desperately biting her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. _Oh, my God._ Her hands hit the sheets behind her before she desperately grasped them, leaning back ever-so-slightly, her knees pressing hard against his hips. He smirked.  
  
"Fascinating," his deep voice rumbled against her skin, _holy fuck,_ kissing the bud and pulling away, her nipple leaving his mouth with an audible pop. She shivered. He turned his attention to the other one, taking his time with this one, lavishing it with his utmost attention, alternating between languid licks and open kisses, her hips moving with each touch. He dragged out the kiss against it as he pulled away, the same audible pop sounding, the breathiest moan leaving her, her body trembling under the way he was looking at her. His pupils were blown, his eyes almost entirely black.  _Holy fuck._  
  
A deep purr sounded in his chest as he watched her, his hands grabbing her hips and carefully spinning them around so that he was on top of her, his hips pressing against hers and pinning her down. " _Temptress_ ," he growled, his hands grabbed hers, their fingers lacing, and he held them above her head. His lips trailed searing kisses across her jawline, down her throat, pausing at her shoulder.

He nipped the skin, the girl jolting beneath him and her shoulder hitching up, an open-mouthed kiss following it, his tongue running over the hickey blossoming there. _Yes, this._ He continued this pattern along her shoulder, peppering bruising kisses up the length of her neck, stopping right below her ear. She gasped.  
  
"Here?" The deep rumble of his voice murmured against her skin, repeating the motion, a shiver rolling through her. _Guess I have a voice kink._  Her hips rolled and he grinned. "You're _amazing_ ," his deep voice rumbled in his chest, the sound reverberating against her soft chest. _Holy fuck._ "Yeah," she started, breathless. "But you have way too many clothes on right now, babe."  
  
His eyes flickered down to his body, looking back up at her with an unamused look. "...So? I'd much rather focus all of my attention on _you_." She almost squeaked. She was literally about to explode. _This guy isn't real._ "No. Clothes off. Now."  
  
He laughed, pulling away from her to work on undoing the intricate pattern of his clothing. She sat up, helping him with one zipper that got stuck before his shirt fell off, her hands getting to work on his pants. _Okay, don't see an erection. Do they not have dicks?_ Her brows furrowed as he stood, slowly starting to pull his pants off. Her eyes flickered up to his face to find the most amused grin on his face, his pace slowing even more. "You fucking tease!" She punched his shoulder and he chuckled, pulling his pants off all the way and kicking them aside.  
  
His near trembling hands gripped the waistband of her shorts, hooking under the hem of her panties as well, and he pulled them off. She lifted her hips, helping him wiggle them off of her before he let them fall from his hands. He all but tackled her back down to the bed, his arms wrapping around her waist and squeezing her against him, the soft swell of her breasts pressing against the part of his that stuck out, awkward but perfect. He laughed, burying his face in her shoulder, holding her tightly for a second. "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too." Kylie's face felt like it was going to break from how big she was smiling. Her eyes flickered down to where his dick should be, only to see... Nothing. "I... I have a question that's probably gonna spoil the mood." She bit her bottom lip, holding back a grin.  
  
"How do you say it?" He hummed in thought as he pulled back to stare at her, tapping his chin with a thick finger. He smirked. "Ah, shoot me."  
  
She giggled. "It's shoot. Just shoot." He groaned, his head falling back into her shoulder. She pulled him back to look at her, her fingers running along his jaw. "Do you have a dick?"  
  
Jaal almost choked. "A dick?"  
  
"A penis."  
  
"Ah. Yes, I do. It's just sheathed right now."  
  
Her brows furrowed. "Say what?"  
  
He laughed, his hands trailing from her waist down to her hips, slowly lowering to her ass to give it a squeeze. _He's definitely an ass man._ "It's sheathed. Humans are very... Open. With angaran males, we have to be..." He hesitated, his eyes searching hers as he looked for the right words. " _Very_ turned on for it to come out."  
  
"Oh." Her heart kinda dropped at his words. _Guess I'm not getting his rocks off. I mean, I'm not an angara. His body's probably very confused right now. Poor fella._ "Well, what gets you roarin', big guy?"  
  
Jaal's smile grew impossibly bigger at her words, his hands finding hers and squeezing them tight. " _You_ do. It takes time for it to come out."  
  
Her fingers trailed over his head, ghosting across the flaps along his head, the softest sighs escaping him at her touch. Her fingers continued their trail down the back of his head, her nails digging into his skin and scratching lines from his head down his muscular back. He groaned, his eyes falling shut, his body pressing against hers. "Oh, you kinky motherfucker."  
  
He chuckled at her choice words, shaking his head, planting a kiss against the junction of her shoulder and her neck. "You silly, silly girl." His hand reached between them, his thick finger ghosting over her clit and she gasped, her hips jolting from the sudden touch. " _Temptress_ ," the word rumbled deep in his chest, her body feeling way too hot at the word. _Holy shit._ He drew a lazy, soft circle over it, his bioelectricity making her hips jump almost every second with each pulse. "Holy fuck," she moaned, her back arching desperately.  
  
Her legs fell open, her toes curling into the bed as he slipped a thick finger inside of her, her eyes falling shut and her head falling back. "Yes," she breathed, her hips moving on their own accord, desperate for his touch. Her breathing was trembling, coming in sharp and leaving her ragged, her heart beating furiously in her chest. " _Jaal_ ," she whimpered, her hands desperately grabbing at his back, her nails scratching designs into his purple skin as his thumb drew lazy circles over her clit. He sighed as he listened to her, his other hand reaching between them for his cock, relieved that it finally came out.  
  
He lazily pumped it as she crashed hard, her nails digging painfully into his back and the tell-tale feeling of blood stinging from the air along the scratches left behind, her whimpers fast and hard, a loud, breathy, frantic moan leaving her as her eyes rolled back and her head fell into the pillow, her toes curling against his back, her legs trembling.  
  
The furious, deep blush on her face made him feel... Crazy. Her eyes lazily fluttered open, her pupils dilated so much that her usual icy-blue eyes were mostly black, his heart skipping a beat. _And I'm doing this to her. Unbelievable._ He leaned forward, his hand grasping her chin and pulling her in for a frantic, deep kiss, their teeth hitting from the intensity. She sighed so softly, a shudder hitting her hard, his hand reaching between them. He guided the head of his cock against her heat, her heart beating so fast she could barely breathe.  
  
"I-I haven't had sex in over six-hundred years, Jaal." Her words were heavy and weak, her arms wrapping around his neck, fingers scratching at the nape. "Got no idea how big you are, so..."  
  
"I'll be careful," he murmured against her lips, kissing her again as he pressed the head in, the softest gasp leaving her. "I'm rather big for my kind," his cocky confidence made her giggle. His hips slowly moved, pressing in so slowly, every inch of him stretching her beyond belief. Her thigh trembled, his hand grabbing it and pushing it open more, the loudest whimper escaping the back of her throat as he hit home, his hips pressed all the way against hers.  
  
"Goddamn," she sighed loudly, her hands grasping desperately at the pillow under her head, her eyes fluttering shut as he stretched her. "You weren't kidding." _He's fucking huge. Bye. I'm dead. Luckiest girl alive award goes to me._  
  
"No, I wasn't." His voice was pained, burying his face into the crook of her neck as he took in a deep breath. "You are... Very, _very_ small. And soft," he sighed, his hips lazily moving, a gaspy moan hitting her. His voice was heavy. "Ridiculously soft, like... I'm not sure what the human equivalent is. _Fuck_ ," he breathed, her giggling so softly at his slip in words. _Got him good._  "Humans are very soft. It's very difficult to think, right now."  
  
Her legs locked around his hips, her ankles crossing as his speed slowly increased, broken moans escaping him with each thrust. Her hips desperately tried to match his pace, her hand trembling as she reached between them, her finger rubbing soft circles against her clit, her leg uselessly twitching. Her translator fumbled, broken, heavily accented Shelesh hissed under his breath into her ear, goosebumps dancing across her flesh while his hands grabbed her hips so hard, it hurt.  
  
" _Jaal_ ," she breathed, an arm wrapping around his head and desperately holding on, her toes curling. "Holy _fuck_ ," she whined loudly, her head sharply falling back into the pillow, her eyes fluttering shut as she crashed again, waves rolling over her, the intensity of his pace drawing it out. His fast pace continued until it was nearly break-neck, his breathing labored and heavy, broken curses leaving him.

A hand desperately wrapped around her neck, careful not to squeeze too hard, just enough to ground him. He wrapped his other big arm around her waist and squeezed her so tightly the air was knocked from her, his hips pressing up against her as hard as he possibly can, her name leaving him in a rush.  
  
Her leg moved to unhook from around him only for his hand to frantically grab it and hold it still, his breath leaving him in a sharp rush. "Wait -" It came out broken, a trembling sigh leaving him. "I-I'm not," he whimpered, his body trembling as he held her down.  
  
_Ah._ Her hands met his jaw and guided his head up to hers, kissing him deeply. His kisses grew frantic, his eyes shut as tightly as possible as the final wave rolled over him, his entire body relaxing in a deep sigh. "You good?" She asked as she lazily stroked his cheeks, his brilliant blue eyes slowly fluttering open to look at her. He hummed at the sight of her flushed and her hair messy, the happiest smile on his face. "Yes, I am. I'm more than good," he breathed, his nose nudging hers as he kissed her so softly, so gently. "I feel... Amazing. _You're_ amazing, wonderful, _beautiful_ ," he sighed shakily, his hands grasping her jaw, thumb ghosting over her swollen lips. "I'm so lucky."  
  
Tears bit at the corners of his eyes, emotion tugging heavily at his heart the longer he stared into her beautiful eyes. "I almost lost you before I let you know just how much you mean to me," his deep voice sounded so vulnerable, so scared. "I looked down at your lifeless face and I -" his voice broke, a sob escaping him.  
  
Her thumbs wiped away his tears, leaning forward to kiss the tip of his flat nose. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes staring into his. He took in a shuddering breath. "I'm so sorry." Her voice cracked. She sniffled. "I love you so much."  
  
"No," he breathed, shifting to press his forehead to hers, eyes boring into hers. "I love you _more_. You're the air I breathe, the light I _need_ to live. If you die, I'll die - I'll cease to exist. I _need_ you, Kylie. I need you more than you know."  
  
Emotion hit her heart hard, her eyes blurring. "I want us to be together." He said softly, his thumbs tracing soft circles over her cheekbones, his electricity tickling her cheeks. "I want us to be a couple. _Please_ ," he breathed, his eyes falling shut. "Do you... Do you want to be my," he hesitated, searching for the word her kind uses. "Girlfriend?"  
  
"I do."

* * *

  
Lexi's eyes flickered from the girl to the angara beside her as she checked Kylie's pulse, tense silence hanging in the air. "Kylie," she started after a second, reaching for her light on one of her tables to check her eyes. "I thought I should let you know that Sam sent me a report last night."  
  
"Oh?" Kylie tilted her head to the side, fighting against the sudden urge to scream, her eyes fluttering innocently. "Really? What kinda report?"  
  
"It showed your endorphins spiking around three in the morning. Your heart rate also sky-rocketed for a little while." A shit-eating grin slowly spread across Lexi's face, her fingers gently grasping the girl's jaw as she shined the light in one of her blue eyes. Jaal almost looked sheepish, the biggest smile on his face while he rubbed the back of his neck, pointedly looking away from the two and a furious purple flush under his neck.  
  
"Oh." She mentally cursed out the artificial intelligence in her head, her brows furrowing. _Umm, what the fuck, Sam? Thought you took your attention processors elsewhere?! "I did."_ He started on their private channel, his tone almost sounding amused. _Fuck you too, buddy. "I decided to take note of your emotions last night. It was more out of curiosity than anything else, and I have not encountered such an interaction as yours last night. My system automatically sends reports to Dr. T'Perro when I am actively monitoring your body, Kylie." Wow, Sassmaster. Wow._ _I thought better of you._  
  
"So, you two are official now?" Lexi's words cut through her mindless prattling with the AI in her head and her eyes snapped up, the most amused look on the doctor's face. "Yes," Jaal beamed, the words leaving him before he could help it. He was unable to resist the surge of excitement and joy dancing through him, the sweetest, most loving look on his face as he stared at Kylie. "We are."   
  
"Isn't it ironic our entire relationship evolves around this medbay?" Kylie giggled and turned her head to look at the angara, a smile tugging at her lips. His hand grabbed hers, the softest chuckle leaving him.  
  
He hummed in thought for a moment, his thumb skimming slow circles over hers. "It's adorable, in my opinion. It shows the growth that our relationship has gone through, being with each other and supporting one another through the hardest points in our lives. I love it."  
  
Lexi laughed. "It's endearing, really. I guess my medbay is a matchmaker."

* * *

  
"Kylie," Suvi started warily as Kylie walked through the doors, her hands wringing themselves in front of her as she swiveled her chair around, a shaky sigh leaving her as the girl approached her on the bridge. "There's... There's a big possibility the Archon saw your memory flash when you died."  
  
Her eyes shot wide open, her fingers squeezing into fists at her sides. "What?" Numbness gripped her legs, her feet glued to their spot on the floor, her breath hitching. She let out a shaky breath. _No. No, that shouldn't be possible._  "You're kidding, right?"  
  
"No. We..." She hesitated, her eyes darting around the room as she looked for the words. "We saw it here, too." Suvi took in a deep breath, her brows furrowing. "When Sam _killed_ you," her voice wavered at the thought, her eyes falling shut for the briefest second, "our systems were wide open. We saw... Everything. You and James. You used to -"  
  
Her hand came up, stopping the woman in her tracks, her head shaking violently. "Stop." Her voice broke. "Who I was in the Milky Way doesn't matter now anymore. I don't wanna talk about it, like _at all._  So, don't." Tears bit at her eyes, the shakiest breath leaving her. " _Please_." Her hands grabbed at her loose hair, tangling themselves in her curly locks as she turned away, shaking her head and taking off.

* * *

  
The soft squeaking of her space hamster filled the room while her body melted into her desk chair, Jaal's rofjinn wrapped tightly around her. He's still not gonna get it back, not for awhile. She idly nibbled on her fingernails, staring out at the vast expanse of space from her window while her thoughts danced through her mind, attempting to process everything that happened.

Her heart ached for Raeka. It's not that she thought she made the wrong choice because if she had chosen Raeka over Drack's scouts she would've never forgiven herself. Drack's like a dad to her, she couldn't do that to him, but it's the fact that everyone on the Nexus is gonna hold it against her, make it seem like she's a fuck up. Like always.  _I am, though._  
  
_"Kylie, Liam and Jaal are requesting to come into your room."_  
  
"Might as well open the floodgates, Sassmaster." She smiled, crossing her legs and gently pushing against her desk, her chair slowly spinning around from the movement, the vibrant blue fabric of his rofjinn waving around her.  
  
Her doors hissed open and they came stumbling in. Liam was struggling to balance a ton of containers and bags in his arm while Jaal was wrapped in an obscure amount of colorful blankets, successfully turning him into a big, walking, colorful as fuck teddy bear at this point. Her brow quirked up, a curious grin tugging at her face. "What are you two up to now?"  
  
Liam smirked, throwing the bags onto her bed and scattering a few containers on her desk. "Well, heard about all that shit that happened with Raeka. So," he nodded towards Jaal as he approached Kylie's chair, "we've got a little plan for you. I call it, 'Liam Alpha Jaal, Sequence Cheer Lala Up'."  
  
Oh. _Oh_. Her breath hitched and her heart squeezed in her chest. She was gonna cry. Emotion hit her hard, her eyes feeling heavy and tired. "You guys," her voice broke as Liam shuffled around the room to fluff up her bed and mess up the pillows, the back of her hand pressing against her lips in an attempt to hold herself together, tears flooding her vision.

"You don't have to, really. Seriously." Her arms reached out to pull Jaal into a hug as he approached her, his wide arms tugging her close and lifting her off of the chair. All the blankets around him made him feel so warm and she sighed.  
  
Jaal carefully carried her over to the bed and sat her down at the edge, his hands skimming along her body as he pulled away. Liam began to unwrap the blankets from around his body and they got to work throwing them around the bed, making one huge, soft pile on the bed. Her television on the wall came out, twisting and turning until it faced her bed, static crackling over its screen. No doubt thanks to Sam.

"Oh, we have to," Jaal mumbled, holding up his hand at her before she could say anything. "Wait, I have something for you, darling one. One second." He took off after she got settled in her spot, watching him leave the room in a flash of purple.  
  
Kylie stared at Liam, her brows furrowing. "What's he doing?"  
  
"Oh, it's a surprise." He made his way around the room, setting up various things and opening a few containers filled with food. "You'll love it, though. He's spent hours on that fucker." He wiggled his dark eyebrows at her, the biggest grin on her face. "What do you feel like most tonight? Vids or a dance party?"  
  
She laughed in disbelief, small hands darting up to rub at her eyes to wipe away a sudden onslaught of tears at his question. _I don't deserve them. They're too good to me._  "I don't care. Whatever you want."  
  
"But, it's for you." Liam pouted. "Whatever you want. We're here for you, Lala." She sighed shakily as he spoke, pulling her legs under her body in her spot on the bed. He flopped onto the bed behind her and reached out, his hands meeting her shoulders, slowly pulling her down and around to yank her into a tight hug.  
  
"I love you, Lola." Her voice felt heavy, the words feeling weird, her arms squeezing him tight. "Love you, too." He smiled, nuzzling his head into her shoulder, his hand rubbing her back.  
  
The doors hissed open once more and Jaal came in holding a small, soft blue box, a white bow nestled neatly on top of it. "Liam helped me wrap it," he started as he approached the two, sitting beside her on the bed as she pulled away from Liam and he gave her the present. "I... I made it for you. It took quite awhile, but I managed." He smiled. "Open it."  
  
She carefully unraveled the bow and opened the box, her jaw falling open. Trembling fingers gently grasped the fabric inside of the box, her heart stuttering as she slowly pulled it out. A rofjinn. _Her_ own rofjinn. 

It was a beautiful deep red, the same pattern of his, matching his perfectly. "I know how much you love mine, so I wanted to make you one. A symbol of our relationship." He said softly, his big eyes worried as he took in her reaction. "Not to mention," he hummed, nudging her shoulder with his, the ghost of a nervous smile on his face. "I fear you may never give mine back at this rate." She swallowed thickly, silence hanging in the air as she turned it around, feeling the fabric in her hands. He sounded so hesitant. "Do you like it?"  
  
"No, I don't." She hummed, his expression faltering and his face falling, only for the biggest smile to dance on her face as she leaped onto him, crushing him down with a hug. "I _love_ it!" They fell down onto the bed, their laughter bubbling through the air. Liam couldn't contain his big grin at them from the side of her bed as he began to open the scattered bags of snacks he threw down on her desk.  
  
They rolled around, getting mixed up in the blankets and trying to fumble their way out of it while Liam made his way over to her nightstand and his fingers tapped the stereo sitting there, hitting a random song and turning it all the way up. "Sam, dim the lights and turn on some crazy colors." His voice was barely audible over the song, the walls trembling from the noise and the ground shaking. The AI did as he asked, the light in her room fading to almost nothing, random spotlights of bright neon colors dancing around the room in various patterns.  
  
Jaal effortlessly tied his rofjinn back on as they sat back up, gently wrapping hers around her shoulders and taking her hands, showing her how to tie it. "Like this," he murmured, showing her a latch he made specifically for her to ease putting it on. Her fingers are very small and definitely not made for Angaran clothing.  
  
"Well, I'm jealous," Liam whistled as he walked up to them, slightly bopping to the song playing. His hand gestured at his body, a pout on his face. "The rofjinn mafia is here and I'm nothin'."  
  
Jaal pulled Kylie up as he stood and grasped her hand, twirling her around in a little circle, the biggest, happiest smile on her face. "Yeah, well, sucks to be you, Lola!" She stuck her tongue out at the brunette before he dipped her and she squeaked, a blush dancing across her face in the dim light. His laugh boomed through the room, pulling her up into a happy, soft kiss.  
  
Liam grabbed their hands and stole her right from under Jaal's nose, lacing his hands with hers and running in a circle with her, the floor trembling from the music as they spun around and around, their laughter mixing in with the beat of the song.

Her rofjinn whipped through the air, hitting his leg as their pace increased, unable to pull away from each other as the air weighed them down. If one were to let go right now, they'd probably crash through her window and die. He suddenly pulled her close, very nearly knocking her right off of her feet and onto her ass, his hands barely catching her as he hefted her up. Her nails grabbed dug into his shoulders as he leaned her forward, a strangled scream almost leaving her at how close her head was to the floor before he whipped her right back up, laughing the entire time.  
  
She melted into a puddle of giggles as he sat her back down and they started dancing, arms flying and legs moving, Jaal creeping up behind her to wrap his arms around her and hug her tight against him. Her hands met his and she smiled, the feeling so intense it felt like her face was gonna crack. "I love you guys, so much."


	16. heebiejeebies

Their fingers laced together as they walked through the Nexus' docking bay, their laughter flitting through the air as Liam nudged her shoulder with his and pointed at a drunk wobbling around outside of Vortex. "Hey, that remind you of someone? I definitely see the resemblance." He smirked as the person stumbled and fell to their ass, sitting there and looking utterly bewildered.

Kylie balked, giving him a hard shove. "Oh, my God. I hate you, _so_ much." She punched his shoulder with a sharp roll of her eyes.  
  
Liam laughed so hard he very nearly curled over to his knees, his weight going forward as he tried to rein himself back in. "Your face -" He gasped in between his laughs, pointing a finger at her from their joined hands. "You're _so_ cute, Lala."

She groaned loudly, rubbing their joined hands across her face in irritation, grumbling her words into his hands. "I have shit to do today, Lola. Like, I have to meet with Tann who most likely is gonna hate what I'm bringing to the table. Like, I'm fully expecting him to hop on my dick and ride me about everything I'm bringing to him today."  
  
He quirked a dark eyebrow, pursing his lips to hold back a laugh. "Sounds like _you_ need to have a date with me afterward at Vortex."  
  
"Thought _you_ said I had problems with alcohol?" Her brows furrowed, shooting him a pointed look.  
  
He grinned. "Yeah, you do." His hip bopped against hers, sending her stumbling to the side. Her brows furrowed even more, the girl obviously annoyed. He bit his cheek, grinning so hard his face almost hurt. "But, I'll be there. So, I can stop you if you start to get a little wild." She sighed loudly, mulling over the thought for a few seconds. She finally rolled her eyes, nudging his shoulder. "Fine."  
  
"Don't worry," he rolled his eyes, "I'll make sure Jaal's there. Pretty sure he's in the Cultural Center getting lit with Elcor Hamlet." His eyebrows waggled suggestively at her and she felt the tell-tale sign of a blush heating up her cheeks.  _I hate this guy so much. I can't deal with this, holy shit._

* * *

  
"You've got to be kidding me. We're running on a lot of 'ifs' right now, Ryder. 'Ifs' won't feed hungry faces and bring families out of cryo." Addison sighed, her hand irritably rubbing at her temple. Kylie could feel her blood boiling at the fact that she was still referring to her as Ryder. _Her whole stupid fucking goddamn 'until you prove yourself' bullshit. I'm all you've got, dumbass. What do I need to do next, pull the fucking Archon out of my ass? Guess so._  
  
"The Pathfinder's proven herself time and time again, Addison." Relief rushed up Kylie's back as Kesh spoke up for her, the krogan's brows furrowing and her arms crossing her broad chest. _I don't deserve her. Her and Drack are too good to me._ She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, staring down Addison. Addison almost shivered. "She's already proven herself reliable and trustworthy, not to mention deserving of her title as Pathfinder. Why shouldn't we trust her now? Just because one idea seems far-fetched to you? This is Andromeda, Addison. It's going to be complicated, it's a new galaxy."  
  
Tann scoffed, waving his hand dismissively at the krogan. "That's easy for _you_ to say, Superintendent. You only like her because she's saved _your_ people." He glared at Kylie, his hands clasping behind his back. "You threw away precious salarian lives to save a few lackey scouts, Ryder. You sacrificed the salarian Pathfinder and for what? A few krogan?"  
  
"'Are _you_ kidding _me_?!" Her feet moved without her thinking towards Tann. She could hear Kandros' armor clinking behind her to follow after her, tension rising into the air as she shoved her finger in the salarian's face, his eyes widening while anger radiated through her entire being. Her body tensed. She's had _enough_. "Your fucking salarian-totalitarianism is getting _so_ fucking old! You guys die after forty years, you won't have to deal with shit that everyone else has to deal with because you'll be _gone!_ "

Her words came out in a rush. She glanced over at the krogan, the two sharing equal looks of exasperation. "Thanks, Kesh, I love you, like a shit ton, but this whole Andromeda goddamn shit has been a fucking crapshoot!" Her hands gestured violently. "I've fucking made _outposts_ for you guys, I've secured reliable food sources from the goddamn angara for _this goddamn station_!" Her words gradually rose into a yell, very nearly screaming the words into the salarian's face before she pushed Tann's shoulders hard, furiously pacing away from him. "And you still wanna pretend like I've done  _fuckshit_ nothing!"

A shaky breath left her, her mouth moving before her mind could filter her words. "You're literally asking me to pull every minute piece of information out of my ass when I'm just trying to figure out what the fuck is going on, too! I didn't ask for _everyone_ to put all their bullshit on me!" Her hands grabbed her curly hair, tangling harshly in the locks and a bitter, trembling sigh leaving her.

Cora came up behind her, her hands darting out to grab her small shoulders. "Kylie..." She slowly started, a warning hidden in her voice, and Kylie shrugged her off.

"I'm doing my fucking goddamn best with what I've been given and let's be real, y'all ain't making this fucking easy on me! You're fighting me the entire way, acting like I'm trying to kill everyone. Guess what? I'm not! I know, right? Total shock!" She nearly growled, pointedly glaring between Addison and Tann. " _You,_ " her finger darted from Addison to Tann, "can _suck_ my _fucking_ dick!" Gasps scattered through the room. "I'm done! I'm done," she threw her hands up, turning on her heel. "Good luck saving Andromeda on your own, dumbasses. Call me when everyone's dead so I can off myself. I'd be so fucking glad to."  
  
"Ryder, wait -" Hayjer scrambled after her to grab her elbow, stopping her in her tracks and keeping her from storming off. She looked up at him, her body seething with anger and tears biting at her tired blue eyes. She felt so exhausted. Her body was ready to lay down and just... Die. "I'm with you."  
  
Vederia took a step forward, nodding her head. Kylie's heart squeezed in her chest. "I'm with her, too." Avitus stood up and she stopped breathing. "Same here." Her heart felt heavy. _Maybe I'm not alone._ "You're right, Ryder." Hayjer nodded, ushering her back to the table, his hands on her back. "You're doing your best, just like all of us are." His hand gestured between the four Pathfinders. "It's hard enough to deal with being a Pathfinder when we've had no training, let alone when Nexus leadership isn't even allowing us to do what's necessary."  
  
Her heart fumbled in her chest while they pointedly glared at Addison and Tann, their brows slowly furrowing. Silence hung in the air as the group stared each other down, tension and anger so thick, it was almost tangible. The silence was broken by Addison sighing. Loudly. "We can't afford to lose more people and resources on this, Ryder." Addison buried her face in her hand. "We can't support this."  
  
" _You_ can't support this," Kesh quipped, taking a step towards Kylie. Kandros hummed in agreement, his arms folding over his chest as he followed Kesh. "I support you, Kylie. Anything you need, come to me. You took in my old man with no questions asked, so I'm giving you my all. No questions asked." She felt like she was going to burst into tears on the spot, her lip quivering as she stared at the krogan.  
  
_"Ryder,"_ her comm chirped on her wrist. She flicked it up and tapped her omnitool. Harry's voice flitted in, disbelief and awe mixing together in his tone. _"It's important. James is... James is awake. Come down to the medbay as soon as possible."_ She looked up at the group, her eyes wide in shock. She was definitely about to burst into tears.  
  
"Go!" Hayjer pushed her and she took off in a full-body sprint.

* * *

  
"James is awake," Kylie was breathless as the tram doors opened revealing a tall, confused Jaal standing there, looking mildly bewildered at her exhausted and panting form. "James is awake!" She pulled him onto the tram and slammed her hand over the hologram for the Hyperion's medbay.  
  
"He's awake?" Jaal beamed as the doors hissed shut, his arms wrapping tightly around her. "Yes!" She jumped up and down in his arms as the tram came to life, her smile so big his heart skipped a beat. "He's _awake_. He's awake!" Her words were muffled into his broad chest, her arms squeezing him so tight he took in a pained breath. But he let her, his excitement for her nearly overwhelming him.  
  
Kylie wasn't entirely sure when she'd started crying, but she definitely felt a sob suddenly leave her against his chest, her hands darting up to rub at her eyes. She swallowed thickly, the saddest look on her face and her heart aching. "Shit, I've missed him so much, Jaal." Her voice broke, her chest heaving as she buried her face in his chest, grabbing handfuls of his rofjinn. "I've missed him _so_ much."  
  
"I know, darling one." His voice was utterly soft and gentle, his fingers running through her curly hair as it danced down her back. "He's awake, my love."  
  
The doors hissed open and she darted away from him, barely managing to grasp his hand and pull him with her before she took off. Her heart skipped beats as they ran down the stairs, the most light-headed feeling hitting her when the medbay doors hissed open to reveal James sitting up, rubbing at his face while Harry stood beside him, a grin on his face. It felt surreal.  
  
"Sorry if this kills you!" Her trembling voice managed to yell as she let go of Jaal's hand and she all but jumped into the air, tackling her brother back down to his bed, a sob leaving her as her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers grasping at his twisted hair. He winced but his arms were so quick to wrap around her waist, squeezing her just as tight. "Oh, my God." Her voice quivered, her hands trembling as she pulled back and stared at him long and hard, the same icy eyes staring back at her with the same tears. "I've missed you _so_ much, you have no idea."  
  
"Oh, from all the messages you've left me? I've got quite an idea. But I've missed you too," he smiled, tugging her back into another soul-crushing hug, his eyes squeezing shut. They relaxed into the hug, silence falling between them as they shakily sighed, emotion hitting them hard. She sniffled. "Shit, it's felt like years." He started with a trembling sigh. "How much have I missed?" His icy blue eyes slowly opened and took in the sight of a very happy, very content angara behind her, the biggest smile on his purple face. His brow quirked up and the angara flushed a beautiful deep purple.  
  
"Well," she started as she pulled back, her fingers trailing over his ridiculously stubby jaw. He definitely needs to shave. Her eyes glanced over his hair, his eyes, his nose, committing them all to memory while her heart ached in her chest. _I could've lost you. Shit._ "I mean, you know I'm the Pathfinder. I already told you Dad died and that Andromeda isn't all that it was made out to be, but we've made it, Jay. Doin' my best."  
  
His effortless smile made her feel so warm. A missing piece of her is back again. She felt like crying her eyes out, another sniffle escaping her before she could help it. "Yeah," his thumb wiped away a few stray tears running down her face, "I heard that. Though," he pointed behind her and she twisted to look. Jaal smiled and she felt impossibly warm. "Who's that handsome fella? He's been eyein' you for, like, ever now. Kinda really bothering me now."  
  
Her happy laugh lit up the room, her eyes crinkling and her nose scrunching up in joy. "Oh!" She scrambled to get off of her brother's lap. "This is my boyfriend, Jaal." James' jaw dropped to the floor. She grabbed the angara's big hands, pulling him towards her brother with a strong tug. "Jaal, this is James. He's my twin I've told you so much shit about."  
  
Jaal beamed, his whole being impossibly bright as he rushed forward to crush the man into a tight hug. He whimpered in the angara's arms, his eyes fluttering shut from the intensity of his bioelectricity crackling off of him. "I feel honored to finally meet you, my brother!" He chuckled and James grinned at the nickname, his hand harshly patting the man's back. "I feel as though I already know you," he pulled back, breathless, his eyes searching James' face, taking in his features. "Oh, from how much Kylie has talked about you."  
  
"Oooh," James whistled, the biggest shit-eating grin on his face as he stared back at Kylie, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at him. Her head tilted and he stuck his tongue out at her. "This must be the, how did you say it in that one message, Sis?" He paused, pulling away from Jaal and tapping his chin. A look of horror flashed on her face, the memory suddenly hitting her. "Jay!" She stepped forward. He smirked. "Ah, the 'most deliciously handsome' man you've ever met, right?"  
  
A deep purple danced under Jaal's neck, a grin tugging on his lips as he turned to look at her over his shoulder, his bright blue eyes narrowed and twinkling with the utmost amusement. The look on his face made her shiver. "Oh? _Deliciously_ handsome?" He looked so smug.  
  
"Wow," Kylie bit her bottom lip, burying her embarrassed face in her hands and rolling her eyes. "Thanks, Jay."  
  
"You're welcome, Kay. Just, you know," he grinned, rubbing his fingers together, "spicing up your relationship. Anyways," he put his hand on Jaal's shoulder, pursing his lips when the angara turned back to look at him. "As her brother, especially her twin brother, I obviously gotta tell you if you break her heart, I'll most likely kill you. And by most likely I mean definitely. Like, for real, kill you." He paused, the angara looking impossibly amused. If they were to stand up, Jaal would definitely tower over him. That didn't stop James, though. "Then probably rip you apart and dance on your grave. Maybe piss on it for good measure. Y'know."  
  
Jaal's booming laugh lit up the room. He nudged the man's shoulder with his, waggling his brows at him. "Oh, I know." He leaned forward, their foreheads nearly touching, and he grinned. "You two talk exactly the same. It is no surprise that you are twins."  
  
"We do?" James laughed, his eyes crinkling all cute just like Kylie's. She plopped down beside him on the bed, grasping for his hands and lacing her fingers with his. Jaal almost gasped as he took the two of them in side by side. The fact that they looked like perfect mirrored images of each other was nearly overwhelming to him, heights aside. "Hey, Kay, you said Liam's runnin' round with you guys, right?"  
  
"Oh, yes." A slow grin pulled at her lips, her leaning in and bopping his forehead with hers. "I know you've got the biggest crush on him."  
  
James groaned loudly, falling backwards into the bed and letting go of her hands. The backs of his hands pressed against his eyes, burying his face in embarrassment. "You didn't tell him, did you?"  
  
"Nope." She grabbed his hands again and pulled him back up. He pouted all cute and she laughed, poking his full bottom lip before it relaxed and he scoffed. "But he's totally crushin' on you, too."  
  
His mouth fell open in shock. "What?" He flushed. His brows furrowed and he scoffed, pursing his lips, ignoring the way his heart started to race in his chest. She could definitely feel his pulse quicken, the biggest smile on her face. "You're lying. I know how you work, you little shit." Their hands pushed against each other, an almost awkward tug-o-war happening as they fought against each other's push. "Stop."  
  
"Nope." The girl grinned, bringing their hands to her chin and mushing them under her jaw. He felt so warm. _I've missed him so much._  "He confessed to me one night when we were watching some old vids together. Told him I kinda figured he did 'cause I mean, you're cute as shit and Liam's cute as shit so like, obvious cute as shit couple right there. He called you the cutest guy he's ever seen with the cutest smile on his face." Her giggle came out so giddy and happy, making James blush. "Y'all are so adorable."  
  
James blushed even deeper at the comment, his lips pursing. "For real? You're not tuggin' on my string?"  
  
"I'm going to pretend I understand what is going on in this conversation," Jaal quipped as he plopped down beside Kylie, the most amused expression on his face.  
  
Kylie pressed her finger against his lips, his eyes narrowing from the motion, his lips pouting and kissing her finger before she pulled it away. "Shhh, this doesn't leave the three of us, okay?" She looked back at James. Jaal gripped her hips and tugged her back with a smile, the girl curling up in his lap with a gasp and crossing her legs over one another, her hands meeting his that came to rest over her stomach. "Not tuggin' on your string, trust me. He's visited you every time we've made a pit stop on the Nexus, Jay. I've had to pull his ass away from your bed multiple times."  
  
"Stop!" The man chuckled, his icy eyes crinkling in joy and the cutest grin on his face. He gave her a little push on her stomach, shoving her back against Jaal's broad chest. "And you haven't?"  
  
She fell into a puddle of giggles against Jaal, pushing the angara backwards with a laugh. They nearly toppled over the back of the bed, the angara's hands darting behind him to keep them up. "I've tried to!" Her foot darted out to push his leg. He pushed her leg back, jerking it against Jaal's thigh. "Tann's so busy riding my giant dick that I have no time."  
  
"Holy fuck," Liam's jaw dropped as he walked into the room, his entire face lit up with the biggest, happiest smile at the sight of James sitting up and moving around. "You're awake? Holy shit!" He sprinted across the medbay room, breathless, happy chuckles escaping him as he came to a skidding halt at James' feet and nearly fell down to his knees, throwing himself onto the man in a tight hug.  
  
James took in a shuddering breath, a blush making its way across his cheeks as he fell backward. Again. _Breathe, James. Don't send yourself into an asthma attack._ "I know, right? I can hardly believe it. How've you been?"  
  
"Hmm," the brunette hummed in thought as he let go of James and rolled over, pushing himself up beside the guy and wrapping his arm around his waist. "You know, not too bad. Lala's been pretty good to me. For the most part." He waggled his eyebrows, his fingers tapping his side in the most distracting manner. "She's got her days, though." Kylie rolled her eyes, rolling her head back against Jaal's chest while he tilted his chin down to kiss her head. "But, I'm definitely a lot better now that you're awake." He smiled all smooth and James' heart stuttered, tugging him into a little side hug.  
  
"Same. I mean," James started all too quickly, his anxiety bubbling through his words and a mean blush darting across his umber face. "I'm great now that I'm awake. And that you're with me. Shit, like, you know, visiting me, not, not like -" Liam burst into a laugh, pulling him into a full-on hug. James melted into it, his eyes falling shut and his hands resting on his warm back. Kylie's heart ached at the sight. _He deserves so much to be happy._  
  
Kylie reached out to grab Harry's elbow as he passed by. "Hey, is James cleared to leave the Hyperion?"  
  
The doctor pursed his lips in thought, his eyes glancing from her hopeful ones to Jaal's inquisitive gaze. He hummed. "Yeah," he started slowly, "I don't see why not. Just don't have him out in the field for awhile, keep him grounded on the ship. He can go sight-seeing but not fighting." Harry grinned.  
  
She smiled impossibly bright, uncurling herself from Jaal's lap to leap and pull the two men down into a hug, her giggles lighting up the room. "Jay, you get to come be a little shit with us again!"  
  
"For real?" He laughed breathlessly, wrapping his arms around the two. "About time!"  
  
"I feel rather left out," Jaal grumbled as he stood up and approached the huddled group, collapsing right on top of them and squeezing them tight. James let out a loud gasp from the sudden weight, gasping for air and pretending as if he was choking. The angara laughed hard, all booming and happy. "You'll live, my brother."

* * *

  
"So," James started as the four of them settled down in a booth at Vortex, him sitting beside Liam and the other two sitting across from them. His heart fluttered in his chest from how close he was to Liam, forcing himself to take a deep, steadying breath before he continued.

"You gotta tell me more about yourself, Jaal. I only know a few things, like that you're," he grinned, his fingers curling in air-quotes much to Kylie's abject horror, "the 'most deliciously handsome' man, that you're a 'ridiculously hot' shot, and that you deadass have a giant family that's super intimidating and kinda scary."  
  
Jaal's brows furrowed as the girl beside him buried her burning face in her hands, nudging her shoulder while a shit-eating grin tugged at his lips, his arm snaking around her waist and squeezing her against him. "I quite like the way you've been describing me to your brother, my love."

He brought up his other arm, pushing his rofjinn out of the way as he flexed his well-toned muscles, Kylie's face burning even hotter at the motion. "I am a rather deliciously handsome, ridiculously hot shot. Though," he paused, shooting her a worried look, "you think my family is intimidating?"  
  
"Jaal," Kylie grinned, poking his big, flat nose. He grumbled at the poke, pouting. She pressed her thumb against his bottom lip and he smiled. "One of your tall-as-fuck sisters towered over me and spit in my face. With a shit ton of bombs nearby. Then she shot your brother. How else should I interpret that?"  
  
"Teviint actually likes you, you know." He mumbled, grabbing the hand that poked him and lacing his fingers with hers. He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. She giggled, pulling their interlaced hands up to her face and kissing the top of his hand. "For real? Couldn't tell."  
  
"Okay, you lovebugs," James grinned, leaning forward on his elbows. "More about you, big boy. Get to it, before I go all protective older brother on your ass." He pointed a finger at Jaal. Kylie shot him an incredulous look. "Older brother? You're two minutes older, Jay." He smirked, cocking his head to the side. "That's still two minutes of me being older than you, Kay."  
  
"Whatever. Guess I'll take this as an excuse to go to the bathroom, give y'all some privacy, I guess," Kylie mumbled. Jaal tilted his head towards her, giving her access to press a quick kiss on his cheek before she stood and took off, his hand lingering on her hip as he pulled away.  
  
Jaal hummed in thought, his fingers lacing together against his mouth as he leaned forward, his brows furrowing. "Where should I start? Let's see. I was born on Havarl." James nodded his head. "Know that."  
  
"My entire family is in the Resistance."  
  
He nodded again.  
  
"I'm very much in love with your sister. She is the light of my life, really." His voice grew soft, affection tugging at the edges, his eyes sparkling, the most obvious look of love catching in them. "My sun, my moon, and my stars."

Jaal let out a shuddering breath, emotion twinkling heavily in his bright blue eyes. "Kylie truly makes me the happiest person in all of Andromeda. I am so very lucky to have her. I am so very lucky she decided to come here, actually." His face flushed. "I feel blessed."  
  
James smiled so big, his entire face hurt. _She deserves this. Especially after Vallien._   _Shit, especially after that whole Omega ordeal._ "I figured that much." He stared at Jaal for a drawn out minute, his brows slowly furrowing in thought. Liam's hand came to rest on his thigh and he very nearly lost his train of thought. "You know, from everything my sister's told me about you and from just looking at you right now, Dad would've liked you. Shit, our mom would be in total love with you. You seem like a really great guy. Kay deserves that."  
  
"Really? They would have?" The angara let out a breath he wasn't aware that he'd been holding in. He took in a trembling breath, his heart squeezing painfully in his broad chest. His fingers uncurled from around each other and he rubbed at his face, a soft sigh escaping him. "I... I had always hoped to meet her family, truly. Family for angara are very, very important. That is why all of our families are very big and we all live together in the same house. We are nothing without our families."  
  
"Yeah, bet it was a shell-shock for you to discover human families are tiny as shit." Their shocked laughter mixed in the air at Liam's sudden quip, the brunette nudging James' shoulder with the biggest grin. Jaal stared at the two men for a moment, taking in the way they were looking at each other, the most familiar twinkle in their eyes.

A familiar emotion pulled at his chest, the softest smile on his face. "You two are very cute together. You almost remind me of me and my darling one, in a way."  
  
James felt all of the blood leave his head, his icy eyes bulging. "Uh, what?" He very nearly squeaked. "Excuse me?" He laughed nervously, his fingers darting under the table to fiddle with each other.

Liam quirked a brow, a lazy smirk slowly crawling across his face, nudging his shoulder against his. "Y'know," Liam started, James' breath hitching and his heart very nearly stopping, "we could -"  
  
Their conversation came to a halt as Kylie approached the table, her icy eyes wide. She looked like she was going to get sick, her shoulders tense and her wrist upturned, her omnitool glowing and casting an orange hue along her face.

James gasped and made a move to stand, his hands pushing at the table with Liam following right after until she held her hand up, shaking her head fervently. They slowly sat back down, shooting each other a worried look.  
  
"Darling one, what's wrong?" Jaal started so softly, worry and panic suddenly rising in his chest as he reached for her. She swallowed thickly, her eyes wide and disturbed as she looked at the angara, her hands reaching out to grasp his while her breath caught in her chest.  
  
"Keema just sent me a message. She..." She didn't want to say the words, feeling entirely breathless. "She said that Reyes is missing."


	17. if i could i would feel nothing

"You sure you don't mind me sleepin' in here, Kay?" James shot her a questioning look as she carried in a box of his things, him already getting to work sorting out his clothes and putting them away in her dresser, sitting cross-legged at the foot of it with his own box in his lap.  
  
"Dude," she rolled her eyes, "we're _twins_." Kylie grinned over at him, shaking her head as she sat the box down on her bed and plopped down behind it, opening it and starting to dig around in it. It mostly had some more of his clothing items, a few beanies and hats he couldn't dear part ways with, some pants. "Jaal doesn't sleep in here, dude. We're good, don't worry."  
  
He paused at her words, an incredulous look dancing across his face, his dark brows furrowing. "You don't sleep together?" His hand twisted in the air at her. "Have you guys even had sex yet?"  
  
Her head snapped up to glare at the ceiling, a snorty scoff leaving her. "God, Jay." She rolled her eyes, chucking one of his beanies at his head. He caught it with a grin, whipping it at her before putting it away in the drawer. "Yeah, we have. I... I haven't asked if he wants to sleep in my room yet. Like, move in or whatever." She hesitated, staring down into the box. "I'm scared to, honestly."  
  
"Why? He seems pretty serious to me. I'm usually a good judge at that." James slowly stood up, setting the empty box next to her dresser and heading over to join her on her bed. "You afraid he isn't?"  
  
A sniffle escaped her before she could help it, her nervously fumbling with one of the box's ears as she stared down at it, a wave of emotion hitting her hard. She could feel herself slowly falling and she desperately fought against it to no avail. Her hand darted up to rub at her teary eyes, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes, worry dancing on his face.

"I... I guess - Shit, I've missed you so much." She stared up at him with the sadest look on her face, her eyes glossy and her lip quivering. "I still feel like you're not here." Her voice broke and he tackled her to the bed, wrapping his arms around her and holding her as tightly as he possibly could.  
  
"I was worried about you." James sighed shakily, burying his face in her head full of curly hair. "Like, really worried. I know how you get when I'm not here, especially when you're having bad mental days. Can only imagine how you felt after all that bullshit with Dad happened." He fell quiet as she shifted to lay on her back over his chest, her hands coming to rest over his hands that were on her stomach.

One of his hands wiggled free and reached up to run his fingers through her coiled hair, relishing the feel and texture of it. He's missed her so much. "All I could think about while I was in that coma was, _please,_ ** _please_** don't let her kill herself before I make it back. Literally had reoccurring nightmares of you offing yourself. That was the worst thing, _ever_."  
  
Her heart ached in her chest at his words, her throat feeling full and painful. His finger rubbed soft circles on her stomach, the motion causing a bubble to burst in her throat. His icy eyes fell shut, a surge of sadness rushing through his spine at her little sob. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you, Kay. I tried my damn best to wake up, but it's just... Impossible to will yourself awake, I guess."  
  
She rolled around, fervently rubbing her tears away and smiling down at him. His eyes slowly opened and he smiled back at her, warmth in his eyes. The girl buried her face into his neck, letting out a shaky breath. His arms wrapped around her waist and hugged her. "It's not your fault, Jay." Her smile against his neck only made him feel worse. "It's okay. There's this krogan on board, his name's Drack. He's like, mentally adopted me, I guess. He's _amazing_ , you guys gotta meet each other. You'll love him. I..." She grinned, shaking her head in disbelief, "I call him Dad."  
  
"Dad?" James couldn't contain his grin, his hands running up her back to card his fingers through her thick hair. She nodded, the happiest smile on her face. "What, does he refer to you as his kid or something?" Relief washed over his heart at the look on her face. She looked happy.  _Happy_.  
  
"He does, actually." Her giggle made his smile grow, her head tilting to rest on her fist, her elbow propped beside his head. He laughed at that, shaking his head. "For real? That's wickedly adorable. Shit," he sighed so softly, his fingers running across her temples. "I'm just... Super glad you haven't been facing this alone. You sounded so lost in that last message to me."  
  
When she didn't answer, her eyes flickering to stare down at the sheets, he frowned. "I could hear you scratching in it." His fingers ghosted across her wrists and he gently grasped them, twisting them so he could look at them. Her heart bubbled in her chest, her lip quivering. His thumb lightly brushed over the scarred-over scratches she made just weeks ago, his heart hurting. "I love you, Kay."  
  
She bit back a sob. "Love you too, Jay."

* * *

  
"So, _this_ is Kadara." James had the biggest grin on his face as they walked down the Tempest's ramp together, their hands intertwined and dramatically swinging back and forth with each step.

Kylie shot him the happiest smile, nodding her head. She still couldn't believe he was back. It feels like a fever dream, being here with him. "Yeah. Pretty, isn't it? One of my favorite planets so far. Just wait until you see Havarl, though. You'll shit yourself." She glanced over her shoulder and quirked a brow at the glowering angara trailing behind them, leaning in and cupping her hand over his ear, stage whispering so that Jaal could hear her. "Sour-puss behind us hates it here. _No_ idea why."  
  
James peeked around his shoulder at Jaal and stuck his tongue out at him. The angaran man sputtered, his cheeks splashed with purple and his brows furrowing as his hands uselessly fumbled in the air. He waved a big, dismissive hand at them and sighed. Loudly. "I am only a..." He grumbled as he mulled over the word, his arms folding over his chest, rolling his eyes. "A _sour purse_ because my girlfriend is not holding my hand."  
  
The girl nearly melted into a puddle of giggles. She loves it when he tries so hard to pick up human words. She came to a stop and waited for Jaal to catch up to them before she grabbed his hand with her free hand, giving it a squeeze. "I've got two hands, you know. Plenty of Kylie to go around, babe." He squeezed her hand and sighed happily, lifting her hand to press a fluttering kiss across her knuckles. She smiled impossibly big.  
  
"Liam isn't coming?" James slowly asked, glancing over his shoulder as they made their way through the docking bay and heading into the marketplace. His lips pursed, disappointment in his icy eyes. "Thought he loved Kadara. It was all he could talk about on the way here."  
  
Kylie's brow quirked up questioningly, shooting him a look. "He does. He _also_ loves the bars here." Kylie smiled up at him, tapping her brother's foot with hers. "He'll probably be chillin' at the bar we're meeting Keema at. You can totally take off and hang out with him. Me and Jaal can take care of it, don't worry."  
  
He all but beamed, leaning down to kiss the top of her head, the happiest look on his face. "Best. Sister. Ever."  
  
Jaal laughed, humming deeply in agreement at the giggle that came from her. "Are you two a thing yet?" She squeezed his hand, watching as he flicked his wrist up to type in the sequence to open the doors to Kralla's Song.  
  
"Maybe," he drawled out playfully. He released her hand and twirled away from the two, shooting her a cocky grin and a double thumbs-up as he took off, beginning his search for Liam.  _I hope they're together. It's only taken them four years to admit it._  
  
The angara's booming laugh caught her attention. She looked up at him and nearly squeaked as he pulled the finally free girl into his arms, squishing her in a tight hug, his body utterly relaxing into her touch. She hummed happily, burying her head in his broad chest. "I love having our brother around, my love."  
  
She bit back a giggle and quirked a dark brow up at him, pursing her lips. " _Our_ brother? When did he become _our_ brother?"  
  
"Oh," A slow smirk crawled across his lips, leaning down while she tip-toed to press her forehead to his, the softest hum rumbling deeply in his chest, nearly a purr. Affection danced in his heavily-lidded eyes, his pupils blown as he stared into her eyes. A shiver ran up her spine. "Since I've come to realize that _you_ are the one that I'll be spending the rest of my life with." Her breath hitched. "I can imagine none other than you, my darling one."  
  
Her face turned beat red. _Oh._ _Is he proposing to me? This feels like an Angaran proposal. I think I'm gonna pass out. Oh, my God._  
  
"Pathfinder," a warm, inviting voice started behind them at a table. Relief ran up her spine and Kylie turned to come face to face with the angaran woman, the brightest smile on Keema's face at the sight of the two nearly wrapped up into each other's arms. Her hands slowly fell from Jaal's, his coming to rest on her hips. "I truly hope I am not interrupting a heart-warming moment there, but I fear our business is very important."  
  
She took in a steadying, deep breath. "Keema," she smiled, taking the opportunity to join her at the table once the woman ushered her over. Jaal stared at the two for a moment with the cutest pout on his face before he slowly nodded his head in defeat, taking off to join Liam and James over at the bar.  
  
"What's going on?" Kylie asked softly as she sat down across from Keema, her brows furrowing and worry in her icy eyes.  
  
"I was hoping you could tell me that yourself." Keema sighed wearily, resting her head against her hand. "He has not answered any of my messages for weeks now, nor any of our contacts' messages." As she spoke, she idly inspected the fingers on her other hand. "I've gone to visit him a few times in his little room on Tartarus, but he's turned me away each time."

Her eyes met Keema's intense gaze and the girl shivered. She was serious. "I went to visit him yesterday and his doors were wide open. Nobody was inside, there were no messages left behind and Kian had no idea he was gone. I'm worried for him, Pathfinder."  
  
Kylie's stared at her, her eyes slowly narrowing. "What's gotten into him?" She grumbled, glancing down at her hands. She licked her lips, taking in a slow breath. "I haven't gotten any messages from him. Do you have any idea where he might be?"  
  
Her laugh was airy. "If I knew, I wouldn't have come to you, my dear. I figured you would know since the two of you seemed to be... Rather close."  
  
A trembling sigh left her. "Yeah, of course." Kylie laughed breathlessly, shaking her head and tapping the table with her fingertips. _Holy shit. I have zero ideas of where to start. I'm not a fucking detective - Oh, right. **Pathfinder**. Same thing._ "...I'll go looking for him, I guess."  
  
Keema reached across the table and grasped her hands, squeezing them tightly. "Thank you, Pathfinder."

* * *

  
"Any of you find anything yet?" Kylie brought her wrist up to speak into her comms, her brows furrowing as she made her way through one of the dark, winding alleyways to Reyes' apartment. "I'm gonna check out his apartment, see if he's there or if he left anything behind."  
  
_"Nope,"_ James stated through their comms with a sigh. _"Liam and Jaal haven't found anything, either. We're gonna head back down to the slums, check around Tartarus again in case he came back. We're also gonna ask the Warden if he's seen anything suspicious."_  
  
Kylie nodded her head, warily glancing over her shoulder. A shiver ran up her spine. "Sounds good. Keep in contact." Her boots stomped over a small puddle, the liquid splashing up her armor's leg and her eyes rolled back, her skin crawling at the thought of it being anything but water. "This better be worth it," she grumbled to herself as she started up a set of winding staircases, stopping at the top as she came face to face with Reyes' front door.  
  
Her omnitool came to life as she tapped in the sequence she'd managed to swipe off of his terminal in Tartarus, watching as the doors slowly hissed open. "Reyes?" She cautiously called out, peering through the doorway, her jaw dropping open.  
  
His apartment was completely and utterly trashed. What little furniture he had in it had been turned up, scattered around the room. Crumpled pieces of paper and trashed datapads littered the floor, the entire house in a state of disarray. "Reyes?" She called out again, bending down to grab a piece of paper. "Paper trails? That's not like him." She mumbled as she straightened it out, her brows shooting up as she took it in.  
  
Black scribbles and crossed out words covered the entire page, Sloane's name written over and over with question marks. Kaetus' guard rotations and the Warden's badlands rotation were scribbled in the margins, question marks beside elegantly laid-out plans, right next to crossed out ones. "Oh, Reyes." She sighed, folding the paper up and sticking it in her pocket. "What are you up to now?"  
  
Kylie continued on into the room, her eyes watching her feet as she carefully maneuvered around the room. She turned down a hallway and froze, the sound of running water echoing from the far bathroom. Her breath hitched in her chest and she tip-toed her way to the source of the noise, the bathroom door hanging wide open. "Reyes?" She gasped, stepping into the room only to find -

Nothing.  
  
Her brows irritably furrowed and she rushed over to turn off the sink's faucet. "What the fuck? How long has that been on?" Her eyes darted around the bathroom, biting her bottom lip in thought. It was just an ordinary bathroom, probably the only part of his apartment that hadn't been trashed. She sighed and left the room, continuing down the hallway to where she assumed his bedroom would be. The door was also hanging wide open, the sound of a running fan echoing through the quiet house.  
  
She leaned in through the doorway, peering around the room before she walked inside. It looked just as trashed as everything else and that only made her feel even more frustrated. She sighed, kicking a stack of crumpled up paper out of the way, one of them flying up and revealing a datapad hidden under the pile. Her brows shot up and she grabbed it, tapping it to life. Familiar voices flickered through the room, the datapad's whirring behind them.  
  
_"What do you mean you can't keep eyes on her? I **need** to have eyes on her at all times, Keema."_  He sounded mad. _"I have to make sure that she's safe!"_  
  
_"She's an adult, Reyes."_  Keema sounded exhausted, as if they'd had this conversation a million times. _"Not to mention that she's a very capable fighter, along with the fact that she usually walks around with a giant krogan that could double as her bodyguard. She doesn't need you protecting her, you know."_  
  
_"I know_ _that!"_ He nearly yelled, the girl cringing at how loud his voice got. It fell right back down, a softness in his tone. _"But the people on Kadara Port aren't like her. Nobody I've ever met is like her, Keema. They don't play fair."_  He sighed. _"She's going to get hurt!"_  
  
_"And she will deal with it if she does, Reyes. This is the final time that I'm going to say it. I'm not going to have people follow her around and watch her every move. I quite like her and if she finds out that she's being trailed, she will **not** be happy."_  
  
The voice broke, desperation in his tone. _"I've already fucked up. I can't let her get hurt! I can't let her down again."_  
  
_"You haven't let her down, Reyes."_  
  
He sounded completely and utterly defeated. _"Yes, I have."_  
  
The datapad gradually dimmed down. Her breath left her in a slow, soft sigh, her chest hurting. She felt like she'd just been kicked in the gut. "Watching me?" She sniffled, an indignant scoff leaving her after a second of thought, her hands fumbling with the datapad as she fought against herself on what to do. "Sassmaster," she sighed, "get a copy of this, please."  
  
_"On it."_  
  
She threw it aside, scratching at the back of her braids in irritation. "I hate this." A grumble left her as she kicked around more garbage on the floor, her eyes not exactly sure where to look as she rummaged around his bedroom. Something sparkled out of the corner of her eyes and she looked over, a glint of silver on his nightstand. Her brows furrowed. She walked up to the nightstand, fumbling around to turn her armor's flashlight on and shined it down on the silver, revealing a set of dog tags.

"Oh?" Her hands reached out and grabbed them, his name engraved on them. She swallowed thickly, her eyes taking in his name before she carefully placed them around her neck, tucking them into her armor.  _If he's dead, he's not gonna miss these. I might as well._  
  
A datapad sat on his messed up bed, covered by the edge of his blanket. It flickered on and off, catching her attention. She carefully picked it up and ran her fingers over its screen, scratches littering the surface. She softly tapped it, watching as it attempted to glow to life.  
  
_"I..."_ Ragged breathing, pain at the edges, words slightly slurred. Did this happen after Sloane's party? He sounds drunk. _Very_ drunk. _"I - I fucked up big time, Keema. I don't know what to do. I've - I've ruined everything. I can't see her anymore. I messed up, she hates me and I - I don't know what to do."_  
  
_"What did you do now, Reyes?"_  
  
_"I can't - I feel like I'm gonna get sick. Fuck,"_  he gagged, _"I_ _told Kylie that - That I was the Charlatan."_ Silence fell between the two and her heart stopped. _"I... I thought she was going to take it better. Fuck. She deserved to know, she needed to know before it got too far! Before she -"_  

The voice growled in frustration, the sound of something hitting metal _hard_ , followed by a whimper. _"I fucked up! Right after she'd gotten through telling me how amazing of a person I was, how I was her friend. Fucking **goddamnit**!"_ Another crash. _"All I do is mess everything up! I don't - I don't... I don't deserve her, Keema."_  He said, breathlessly, before he broke down in harsh sobs. _"She deserves better than me, a piece of shit lowlife who can't even handle his fucking job. I can't do this anymore, Keema."_  
  
_"You **need** to, Reyes. You can't just slink away from being the Charlatan, not after you've so carefully accumulated this personality, all of this potential. Your clients need you. Kadara needs you."_  
  
_"Not if it means fucking **hurting** her!"_  
  
Her heart broke in half as the datapad screeched to a stop, the light falling from it. Did he try to destroy this? Her fingers ghosted over its screen, her heart racing in her chest. A moment of thought hit her before she carefully set it back down. "Sam, copy this, too." She skimmed over hand over his desk, catching various crumpled up pieces of paper and trash, her hand catching one of the wads of paper.  
  
_"Of course."_  
  
She smoothed it out and sat down in his desk chair, crossing her ankle over her knee. Her heart froze in her chest at the words written across the paper. It was solid, scratchy, scribbled in a hurry in black ink. _I deserve this._ Her heart lurched and she felt her stomach twist. "Oh, no. No," she gasped, shaky hands folding the paper as she stood, starting to walk quickly out of the house. "Guys," she chirped into her comm, her heart furiously beating in her chest, "it's bad. I think - I think he's hurt himself."

* * *

  
The sun had just started to set on Kadara by the time they had made it out into the Badlands, the orange sunset casting the most brilliant orange hue over the vast majority of the wasteland as they settled into the Nomad, her hands trembling as she gripped the controls. She couldn't bring herself to start them just yet. Something felt wrong. "We don't have time to lose, guys. It's about to be night and I have no idea where he's at, so I need ideas. Like, now."  
  
James hummed in thought, his hand tracing an idle pattern on his side of the Nomad's window from the back. "Maybe Draullir? Everything Liam's told me that goes down in Kadara happens in Draullir."  
  
"I agree," Jaal nodded from his place beside James, his brows furrowed. He leaned forward and gently ran his hand down one of her braids, the girl tilting her head back to allow him to kiss her temple. "Would it be easier if we split into groups?"  
  
Kylie hesitated, her foot hovering over the gas. "Maybe." A pause. "Yes," she glanced back at Jaal, slowly nodding her head. "Go grab Liam and have Gil throw down another vehicle. James and I will look up in Draullir. You guys can go check around that Roekaar hideout we snooped around at awhile back."  
  
He nodded, pushing himself forward to capture her in the quickest, softest kiss before he left. Her hands were trembling as she turned back to stare dumbly down at the controls, her heart racing a furious beat in her chest. It was hard to think. Her heart hurt. "I'm scared, James."  
  
"I know. It's okay, I'm here," James said softly, leaning forward, his hand reaching out to grab her forearm. His thumb traced soft circles around her skin, the softest look in his icy eyes. "We'll find him, Kay."  
  
"He can't die, James." Her voice broke as she tapped at the controls, "I won't forgive myself if he dies." Tears bit her cold eyes and she scoffed, whirring the Nomad to life and hitting the gas. It lurched forward and their bodies jolted. "You think that I would've thought about that, out of everyone else. Shit. It'll be my fault. I can't -"  
  
"You're not responsible for other people's mental health, Kay." He leaned forward even more, glaring at her as she stared ahead, her eyes flickering to glance at him from the corner of her teary eyes. His thumb rubbed another slow circle on her arm, the shakiest breath leaving her. Her jaw clenched, trying desperately to hold back her tears.

"You're not with Vallien anymore. This isn't Omega. I know it feels like it, but it's not." His hand reached up to slowly ghost down one of her braids, a trembling sigh escaping her before she could help it. "You can't be responsible for what other people do. It's never _your_ fault if they choose to do something bad to themselves. That's not how you should look at relationships and friendships."  
  
"I know." Her eyes darted down before looking back ahead, taking a deep breath, pins and needles shooting up her legs. "I know."

* * *

  
They'd been communicating back and forth with the other two as they navigated their way around the mountains of Draullir, the sun finally setting and the moon coming up, casting a hard to see shadow over anything and everything. She felt frustrated. It felt like they were never going to find him and that he was gonna die, all because _I'm a selfish bitch who can't handle her emotions and -_  

James' hand darted out in front of her face, the Nomad coming to a screeching stop as she slammed on the brakes. "Look," he pointed straight ahead.  
  
A small safe house was nestled neatly into a corner, right behind a jagged formation of rocks. If James hadn't been looking over there, they definitely would've missed it, especially considering how well hidden it was at first.

"Shit," her stomach lurched, slamming on the gas and flying the Nomad right over to the house. "Look!" Her trembling finger pointed at a shuttle outside the building as her foot slammed on the brakes, their bodies jolting forward from the impact. "It's Reyes' shuttle!" She gasped, hastily unclipping her seatbelt and pushing the Nomad's doors open. "Oh, my God."  
  
James followed suit after her, jumping out of the vehicle and readjusting his armor. His eyes glanced around at their surroundings as he rounded the front of the Nomad while Kylie bolted ahead. Her hands uselessly trembled as she approached the closed doors, her brows furrowing. She was shaking so bad, she kept messing up the sequence on her hack for the locks. She cursed under her breath. "Sam, can you tell us anything? Something?"  
  
_"_ _I_ _can detect a life form inside. From what I can tell of my scans, they are severely injured and I can detect that they have lost quite a bit of blood. I would recommend they seek immediate medical attention."_  
  
His words very nearly made her heart stop. Her fingers furiously tapped at her omnitool, attempting to decode the lock on the doors once more. "Is it Reyes?"  
  
The AI hesitated to answer.  
  
"Sam," she glared at her omnitool, hard and mean, "is it Reyes?"  
  
_"Yes."_  
  
Her heart lurched and she felt _sick_. The doors finally hissed open and she ran inside. "Stop -" Reyes' accented voice weakly called out, the sound of a gun clattering to the floor followed by muffled curse behind it. _Oh, my God._ Her icy eyes frantically searched the darkness, finally landing on a hunched over form clinging for life on a stair's railing. James' flashlight flickered to life and she wanted to throw up.  
  
His black hair was a complete, knotted mess, his armor scattered, tattered and worn, blood mingling over his torso and down his legs. Deep blood stains covered the majority of his body and he was shaking. Bad. His tan skin looked like all of his blood had been drained, him wincing in pain as he slowly slid to the floor against the staircase's railing, a pained whimper ripping from the back of his throat at the motion. He was too weak to stand up anymore.  
  
"Reyes?!" Her scream was frantic and harsh, the girl bolting over to him and dropping to her knees. Tears bit at her icy eyes, making it near impossible for her to focus on him while her hands desperately fumbled at her belt for her medigel. "Reyes, oh, my God -"  
  
His tanned hand reached up to cradle her jaw, smearing his blood on her cheek as it weakly slid back down, unable to keep his arm up. "Kylie," he breathed, his whiskey eyes sad and grateful as he stared at her, breathless. Speechless, awe. _She came for me._ His breathing was pained and sharp, his hand pressing against his stomach as he hissed, a sudden surge of pain grabbing him. "Kylie, I - I messed up."  
  
"I know," her lip quivered as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from bursting into sobs, grabbing her medigel and pointedly staring at his armor, attempting to figure out where exactly all the blood was coming from. _There's so much, holy shit. How are you not dead, Mr. Smooth? Fuck. If we hadn't come here... I can't think about this. I'm gonna throw up._ "Sam?"  
  
"No," Reyes' voice came out weak and heavy before the AI could speak, his hand shooting out and grabbing her wrist, covering her dark brown skin in his deep blood. His hands trembled so hard it made her arm shake. "No, Kylie," he breathed, a sob escaping him as his head rolled back against the metal, his whiskey eyes squeezing shut in pain. "I - I messed up." He gasped as she managed to pull free from his grip and pull off his ruined armor, the gunshot wound on his stomach aching as the air hit it. His nostrils flared, his whole body recoiling from the pain. "Oh, fuck - Kylie -"  
  
"I know," she repeated, squeezing the medigel into her hands and rubbing them together, numbness settling deep into her bones. Her hands came to his stomach and he grabbed her wrists again, stopping her before she could touch him. He shook his head fervently, the motion making him dizzy, a muffled groan leaving him. "No, Kylie, please -" he could barely speak, shaking his head more, his lips pursing together to keep himself from getting sick. "I... I - I messed up." He whimpered, his legs trembling. " _Please_ , l-listen, I -"  
  
She stared at him, her heart skipping and her brows furrowing.  
  
"I killed Sloane."


	18. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

"Reyes," her voice trembled as she worked the medigel into his wounds. He hissed in utter pain as the gel burned against his skin, his body curling up into himself, his head lolling back and hitting the metal _hard_. His whiskey eyes squeezed shut, tears welling in the corners while he swallowed thickly against the pain. "You've lost a lot of blood. I don't think you know what's going on right now."  
  
"No," Reyes gasped, his hands grabbing at her wrists and pushing them away, the blood on his stomach slowing down to a mere trickle from the wounds as the medigel worked its magic. "I - I killed Sloane." His hands gripped her wrists so hard, his knuckles bulged from his hands. Her eyes met his gaze and a shiver ran up her spine, his eyes wide, his pupils blown and panic dancing in them. "I killed her."  
  
"What?" She breathed, her eyes shooting wide open. Her hands darted forward to cradle his jaw, her thumbs brushing over his bloodied and bruised cheeks, numbness dancing over them from the medigel residue left on her hands. "Why the fuck did you do that, Reyes? What were you thinking?!" Panic rose in her voice. "Her people will fucking _kill_ you!"  
  
"I know," he bit his bottom lip, tears biting at the edges of his eyes. A trembling sigh left him, his head tilting forward into her touch, a shiver running up his body. "Keema..." He hesitated as his eyes searched hers before he forced them to squeeze shut, her gaze so intense he couldn't look at her. "Keema wanted me to do it. But not now. She wanted to wait for the right time."

A shaky sigh left him, his body shivering as cold gripped his spine. "I didn't want to wait." His lip quivered, his hands trembling as he held her wrists. "I... I wanted to die. After," he took in a deep breath, "after what happened with you... I couldn't..." His voice trailed off.  
  
"Reyes..."  
  
"Kay," her brother started slowly from across the room, panic in his voice. He jumped up onto a box, peeking through one of the tall windows, a gasp escaping him. "I think there's someone -"

James' was interrupted by the warehouse's doors hissing open, his hands fumbling for his guns. Her eyes shot over, her hands dropping from Reyes' face as she stood, watching as armed mercenaries flooded the room. "James!"

A heavy-armored turian kicked her brother straight down to the floor and grabbed his locked hair, dragging him face-first towards them. His claw came up to rip off his helmet, a low, twanging growl coming from his throat as it clattered to the ground. "Kaetus?" Her mind raced with thoughts, her brain barely managing to will herself to think to Sam. _Tell the others._  
  
" _You_ killed Sloane!" Kaetus' mandibles flinched as he pointed at Reyes, his nostrils flaring. He threw James against the wall as he neared them, his body crashing and clumping down hard while mercs surrounded him, guns trained on his body. Kylie's hand pressed against her temple, her body fighting herself on where to go, what to do. "You're gonna fucking _pay_."  
  
Her heart was beating so fast she could barely breathe, her hands barely making it in time to grip her guns' holsters before Kaetus closed the distance and raised his, the barrel pressed to the center of her forehead. Her breath hitched and Reyes gasped.

"Starting with her. I know how much you love this bitch," the turian tilted his head toward Reyes, his mandibles shifting in amusement at the fear on his face. Kylie's eyes flickered over to Reyes, her breath caught in her chest, a near pleading look in her icy eyes. "How much you wanna bet you'll still love her when this pretty little face is ruined?" He leaned dangerously close to her face, his breath ghosting over her. "Gunshot to the head?" _I'm gonna die here._  
  
Reyes growled low beside her, a whimper ripping from the back of his throat as he attempted to stand up.

Kaetus hummed in amusement as he writhed beneath them, his gun slowly lowering to her chest. Her eyes fell shut, her heart beating erratically, her breathing hitching. "Maybe no heart?" He purred. "Kinda hard to love someone without a heart." He nodded as it lowered again, slowly sliding down her armor, her body frozen. "How 'bout her stomach first, then? Just like you did with Sloane."  
  
"No!" Reyes' hand darted out.  
  
_Boom._  
  
The gasp ripped from her throat was gross and ugly, her body curling forward in pain. She fell to her knees, her jaw trembling as she bit back a cry, her hands pressing uselessly against the wound as blood started to trickle out of it. "Kylie!" James cried out as he attempted to jump to his feet. A mercenary whacked him across the head, sending him reeling back down to the ground with a growl. He desperately fought against the guards, his voice trembling. "Kay!"  
  
Kaetus crouched down, whacking her head down with the butt of his gun and sending her crashing to the floor on her face. Reyes yelled, his hand reaching out before it limply fell, his entire arm trembling uncontrollably. The barrel of Kaetus' gun pressed to the middle of her back. "Pity," he started, his eyes darting over the expanse of her small back. "Looks like it didn't go all the way through. Let's try that again."  
  
"Stop!" Reyes screamed.  
  
_Boom._  
  
She choked, her body curling into itself as she rolled onto her side and curled up, silent tears rolling down her face. "No break yet, precious." He stood up, his boot whacking her back right over the bullet wound, rolling her back over to her stomach and putting all of his weight over the wound on her back, a muffled, blood-curling scream ripping from her as pain raced up her spine.  
  
"Enough!" The scream shot a horrible shudder up Reyes' body, his body fighting against him and his skin crawling as he attempted to move, to do something, anything. "If you touch her one more time, I fucking swear..."  
  
"Don't fucking touch her!" Her brother yelled as his hands found purchase on his guns, raising them and frantically shooting as many mercenaries as possible as he scrambled to his feet. His biotics rippled to life and chaos erupted from his side of the room, gunshots exploding and people falling, until his scream ripped through the air and Kylie's chest heaved. _James. James!_  
  
"D-Don't," she whimpered, her trembling hands uselessly reaching behind her to grab at the turian's foot. The pressure on her back increased and a strangled noise ripped from her throat, her hands tensing. "Don't _fucking_ touch my brother, you _motherfucker_ -"  
  
_Boom._  
  
Her heart stopped, her body tensing as she expected another explosion of pain to ripple through her only for nothing to happen. What? Her frantic eyes searched the room, coming to land on James' body as it slowly fell back, his eyes rolling back. She screamed before she could even process what was happening. "James?!" He didn't answer. " _James!_ "  
  
_"Kylie,"_ the AI in her head almost made her jump, her body tensing. _He's gonna give me bad news. It's going to be bad. I can't breathe. I can't do this. If he's dead, I'm killing myself. "He is not dead,"_ Sam's voice interrupted her thoughts, _"but he is critically injured. I detect that the gunshot has hit his chest, much like Jaal's injury that one time. He needs medical attention."_  
  
Panic surged through her chest and broken screams left her, the girl desperately struggling against Kaetus' grip to no avail. "Oh - Oh, my God -" Her thoughts left her, her brain feeling heavy and cloudy, a broken sob leaving her at the thought of _he's dead, he's dead and I can't save him. I'm a piece of shit. I can't do this. I can't save him. I'm stuck. I can't move._  
  
_"Breathe, Kylie. You need to breathe. He is not dead." He's dead._  
  
"Poor thing," the turian deeply purred, lifting his foot and slamming it back down. She cried out, her voice broken with sobs and cries, her desperately clawing at anything and everything.

The faintest purple crackled around her, her brain screaming at her to stop as she forced her biotics to life, her entire body trembling. Her heart hammered in her chest as a wave of biotics surged above her, sending Kaetus flying in an explosion of purple and blue. The turian shot across the room and fell into a clump, limp, electricity crackling around his body. She desperately attempted to jump to her feet, her stomach screaming in protest with every move. Her hands pressed against her stomach, blood staining her hands.  
  
Reyes leaned over and offered her his back for support, her hands pushing hard against him as she forced herself to stand, a grunt escaping him as pain surged through his spine. Silent tears flooded her eyes, running down her face as she frantically limped over to where James' body laid, her sniffles and broken whimpers filling the room. "Please, no -" She cried out, her body curling over as she fell to her knees, her trembling hands reaching out to roll him over to face her. His eyes were shut, blood pooling around his chest. Her body broke, a blood-curdling cry leaving her.  
  
_"Kylie, he is not dead."_ Her brain couldn't focus on anything other than _James, James, James. He's dead. He's dead and I've lost him again. I haven't shown you Havarl yet. You haven't met Dad yet. You haven't gotten to kiss Liam yet. We're alone. I'm alone. I'm all alone in Andromeda. This is how I die. I want to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to kill myself._

 _"Kylie, James is not dead. You need to breathe, Kylie. You are having a panic attack."_  
  
"Please," she pleaded into her comms, her body shaking and her voice wavering, broken and sad. She was breathless, her lungs nearly crushing in her chest as she spoke. It hurt to talk. Everything hurt. "Please, someone - I - I can't, it's bad." Her voice broke into a cry, her chest heaving. "James is dead. James' died. I'm - I wanna die, I can't - He's gone - I can't breathe." She whimpered, her breaths fast and hard, "I wanna die. I - I wanna die."  
  
_"Kylie, you need to breathe. Take a deep breath."_ She fervently shook her head at the AI's words, her breathing harsh and uneven, the tell-tale feeling of a panic attack seizing her throat making her unable to breathe, pain soaring through her chest. A shuddering gasp ripped from her, her body shaking.  
  
_"What?!"_ Liam's erratic voice came through the comms and the way he sounded, shock and hurt and worry, only made her cry _more_ , her weak arms curling around her body. _"Darling one,"_ Jaal started back, panic in his deep, rushing voice, a strange warmth running through her chest, " _my love, are you injured? What's going on?"_ She didn't answer. She couldn't answer, her mind racing and her heart hammering in her chest and her lungs squeezing so tight she couldn't -  
  
"Kylie," her hand shot out behind her at his rich voice, holding her finger up and shutting him up immediately. "Don't _fucking_ talk to me," she breathed, her nostrils flaring and a snarl on her face. Reyes' body slouched in defeat at the venom in her voice, his heart breaking. "Don't -"

Her voice rose with anger, very nearly screaming the words at him. "Don't fucking talk to me!" Her hand shot back to press against her stomach, her body shivering violently. She wanted to throw up. She was going to throw up. She can't breathe. Her throat feels swollen shut, her breathing shuddering and short and painful. "James..."  
  
The doors to the warehouse hissed open behind her, the sound hazy and blurry to her as her hands darted out to grasp at her brother's warm hands, the warmth radiating from him making her break down into gross, horrific, broken sobs. Warm arms gently wrapped around her waist and she hissed in pain, desperately pushing the arms away and clinging onto her brother's body for life.  
  
"Kylie, my love, you're injured?" Jaal gasped as his eyes took in her blood-stained armor, gently tugging her away from James' body as Liam hoisted her brother up, the brunette biting the inside of his mouth as tears flooded his chocolate eyes at the sight. Jaal's bright blue eyes danced with worry as his eyes searched her stomach, vivid tears biting at the corner of his eyes. "Darling one, why didn't you -"  
  
"No!" She screamed as she pulled away from him, her hands reaching for James as they took off, feeling broken without him. A piece missing. She tried to stand only for her body to collapse back down to the floor, the most frustrated noise escaping her. Tears rolled down her face, her chest heaving with sobs as Liam started walking away with him. "I - I can't - I need him, Liam, I - Please - Please, bring him back, please, I -"  
  
"Darling one," Jaal's soothing voice made a shiver run up her spine as his hands grasped her wrists and gently pulled her back to him, her pained, numb eyes hyper-focused on her brother's limp body as Liam walked through the open doors. "We're taking him to Lexi, my love. He's going to be okay. We need to get you medical attention."

His arm dipped under her knees and across the swell of her back, gently picking her up. She desperately fought against him, her body screaming in pain at every movement, the only words leaving her were _James, James, James._ "I wanna die," her body melted into his touch, broken, painful sobs freely leaving her as she desperately grasped his rofjinn, burying her face in it.  
  
Drack made his way over to Reyes, anger radiating in his eyes and his face set in a dangerous look. "What the _fuck_ did you do to _my kid_ now?" His deep voice growled at him, grabbing the man and throwing him over his shoulder carelessly. Reyes' hissed in pain as his stomach hit his armored shoulder, a shuddering sigh ripping from his throat. "It's... I can't explain it."  
  
"Figure out how to and do it  _now_ before I kill you myself and make it look like you succumbed to your goddamn injuries."

* * *

  
Her eyes slowly fluttered open, a strange warmth blossoming in her chest as the hazy surroundings of the medbay flittered around her. Her hands squeezed instinctively, squeezing something in both. "Darling one," Jaal breathed, standing up and leaning over her, his free hand reaching up to brush her baby hairs from her face as he leaned in to kiss her temple. Her tired eyes flickered over to see that they had pushed two medbay beds together, James laying beside her with his hand in hers. Her heart lurched and she attempted to sit up. "James -"  
  
"He's okay," Jaal interrupted her, gently pushing her back down as his lips hovered over her temple. She turned her head and he pressed his forehead to hers. "You scared me back there, my love." His hand slowly lowered from her head to her jaw, her sighing as his bioelectricity hummed against her skin in strong, uneven intervals.  
  
"I hate this medbay," her voice was hoarse as she glanced around, her stomach squeezing as her mind recollected the events. "I hate anxiety." She sniffled, shaking her head, tears biting at her icy eyes. "I feel so dumb. It's... It's been a long time since I've last had a breakdown like that."  
  
James' hand squeezed her and her head snapped over to look at him, the happiest smile on his tired, weak face. "You're not dumb, sis. That's what anxiety _is_. It pretends to be irrational and it makes you feel frustrated and dumb and you know that. It's okay to have breakdowns, you're only human."  
  
"You always have the right thing to say. I've missed you so much," her words came out in a rush at his voice and her breath came out shaky as she squeezed his hand even tighter, the tell-tale feeling of tears bubbling in the corners of her eyes. Jaal's thumbs swept under her eyes, wiping a few stray ones away.  
  
The medbay doors hissed open as Reyes walked in, holding two Initiative brand mugs of coffee. His tired face smiled at the two, his whiskey eyes twinkling. She didn't miss the wary look he shot her for a split-second before his composure came back, her heart skipping a beat. "If it isn't my two favorite twins, finally awake!" A lazy grin tugged at his lips as he made his way to their beds, sitting one cup at each of the small tables beside their beds. "I know how Kylie likes her coffee," he hesitated as he stared at James, "but I'm not entirely sure how you like yours. I figured it was the same, considering you're twins."  
  
Jaal's grip on her hand tightened at the sight of him and she smoothed her thumb over the back of his, shooting a soft look. His gaze met hers and the look in her eyes told him to relax, the softest sigh leaving the angara. "We both like ours ridiculously sweet." She forced herself to smile, reaching for the mug on the stand beside her bed. Jaal let go of her hand and handed her the cup, careful as ever and helping to steady it in her shaky grip to keep it from spilling. "Reyes -"  
  
"No," he held up a dismissive tan hand, giving her his signature smirk. "We don't have to talk about it. If you'd like, I'll return back to my cozy little place on Kadara, now. Your doctor gave me two thumbs up to leave earlier." Her brows furrowed.  _That was quick._  
  
James slowly shook his head, his dark brows furrowing. His voice was very heavy and tired. "You don't have to go, dude. Stay for awhile. You could probably definitely use a break after what we just went through."  
  
Kylie shot her brother an incredulous look. He simply smiled at her, shaking his head. "Kay, your lover-boy there filled me in on what happened after I kicked the bucket back there." She shot a glare at Jaal, the angara smiling warmly at her and reaching up to brush his thumb over her pursed lips. "You know when you get in that mindset that you aren't thinking right. Don't shun Reyes because you were freaking out."  
  
"James," her voice trembled, her eyes narrowed. "If it wasn't for him running off and doing whatever the fuck he did to Sloane, we wouldn't have been ambushed in his goddamn safehouse. We wouldn't be injured right now." Her eyes shot over to Reyes, her brows furrowing and lips pursing. "Some safehouse that was, by the way. Even _I_ could hack it! That's when you know you've done wrong."  
  
"What happened, happened." James interrupted Reyes before he could open his mouth, shaking his head at his sister. "You have to make the best of every situation."  
  
"Oh. My. God." She groaned loudly, rolling her eyes at him, her head falling sideways and pressing into her pillow. "You can't just use one of Mom's quotes on me right now, Jay!"  
  
James grinned from ear to ear, leaning towards her. "If the tide comes, you gotta go with it."  
  
"Jesus, that was her favorite! Stop!" She whined loudly and buried her face into the pillow, her words muffled into the fluff.  
  
The angara beside her chuckled, amusement dancing in its tone. He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze, causing her to glance at him and he smiled, bright and happy. "Sorry," he mumbled sheepishly, the cutest little smile on his face. "You're very adorable when you're frustrated."  
  
She raised their interlaced hands and pointed her finger at his bubbly, happy face, wagging it at him. "You're terrible and I hate you." James burst into laughter, his hand falling from hers to cover his mouth, the biggest smile on his face. He hit his leg, a snort escaping him. "You are ridiculously cute when you're flustered, Kay."  
  
Reyes grinned, leaning against the door's frame. "What a heart-warming moment. I must say," his arms folded over his chest, "I have to agree with the other two. You're very cute in general." Jaal's chuckle turned into a booming laugh, his head fervently nodding in agreement.  
  
"I hate every single person in this room right now."  
  
Jaal sputtered at her grumble, bringing their hands to his mouth to press a fluttering kiss across her knuckles. His blue eyes grew wide, very nearly twinkling as he stared down into her icy eyes, his pupils blown and his lip pouting in the most adorable way. Her heart skipped a beat. "Even me," a slow smirk crawled across his face, his eyes narrowing, his free arm coming up to flex, "the most _deliciously_ handsome and _ridiculously_ hot shot you've ever met?"  
  
Kylie _very nearly_ screamed, shaking her hand free of his and pushing his shoulder. " _Especially_ you!"

* * *

  
It took quite a bit of wobbling, but she'd finally managed to get out of her medbay bed that Lexi was determined to keep her confined to and snuck her way out of the room, wrapping her red rofjinn around her shoulders and peeking around the corner to make sure the coast was clear before taking off down the hallway. Loud, booming laughter flitted from the galley, causing her to pause before she swallowed and continued on. "Sassmaster, where's Reyes?" Her voice was a mere whisper, her eyes darting around the hallway.  
  
_"He is upstairs in the meeting room."_  
  
"Thanks, boo." Her head slowly nodded as she carefully made her way up the ladder, down the hallway leading away from the bridge. She made her way up the ramp leading to the vidcall center and paused, her heart fumbling at the sight of him bent over on the railing, aimlessly staring out at the vast expanse of space. His shoulders were slouched, a strange air about him, almost as if he was finally relaxed and able to breathe.  
  
Kylie took in a steadying deep breath, fighting against her mixed emotions in her chest, torn between anger and _I'm sorry, you deserve better_ \- She forced herself to walk towards him, her eyes trained on the floor, anxiety bubbling in her chest with each step. Her footsteps softly echoed and if he had noticed her, he hadn't moved to acknowledge her, his body shifting as he leaned forward on his elbows, hands clasped in front.  
  
"I'm sorry," they said at the same time, both pausing and Kylie's eyes shooting wide open, her breath hitching. Reyes fervently shook his head, pushing away from the railing to face her, the saddest look on his face, sullen and sad. "I'm sorry, Kylie." He sighed shakily and she stepped towards him, her eyes looking up and searching his whiskey ones. "I shouldn't have put you in that position. It... It was wrong. I don't know how to describe how I feel, right now."  
  
"Yeah, same. I get that a lot. Emotions are hard." She bit her bottom lip, her eyes flickering over his stomach, taking in the way he looked without all of the blood all over his body. Her rofjinn tightened around her body as she cleared her throat, not exactly sure where to start. "You looked like shit when I found you. What happened?"  
  
He laughed bitterly, leaning back against the railing, his foot crossing over the other. "We had a duel." Her disbelieving snort made him grin, "yeah, exactly how I felt. She offered it. I was just going to have a sniper get her straight in the head while I talked to her but I figured, let her have her fun."  
  
"Oooh," a smirk flickered over her face and she shook her head, taking up a spot beside him and leaning back against the railing, pulling her rofjinn even closer. Warmth spread through her from the fabric and her body relaxed. "So I guess she's even tougher than she looks?"  
  
"Oh, you have no idea. Reminded me of you." Reyes chuckled breathlessly and leaned towards her, his shoulder bopping against hers. She giggled and rolled her eyes at him, biting her bottom lip. "Small but deadly. Before I knew what happened, she'd gotten me five times in the stomach. Hurt like hell, but you know. My sniper friend happened to kick in at that moment, though. Lucky me."  
  
Kylie rolled her blue eyes again, shaking her head with the smallest smile on her face. A shaky breath left her, her eyes searching the floor as her mind raced with thoughts, absentmindedly chewing on her bottom lip. "I'm..." She started, desperately searching for the words she wanted to say. "I'm sorry for my explosion back there. Jay was... Right," she sighed, "when I get going in one of my panic attacks, I can't think. My throat does this weird flipping thing," her fingers motioned at her throat, "and it feels like it's closed and I can't breathe and that only makes it worse."  
  
His tan hand reached out to brush a few loose hairs from her braids behind her ear as she spoke, softly nodding his head as he listened to her. Her eyes focused on the floor at his touch, slowly widening as a realization hit her. "You remind me of me." Blue eyes met his whiskey ones, her voice breathless and the softest smile on her face. "When I was freshly eighteen on Omega. I definitely see myself in you."  
  
Reyes chuckled, staring at her happy face for a drawn out moment before his eyes joined hers with staring at the ground. "Oh?" He hummed, "I do believe I'm quite a few years your senior, mi vida."  
  
Her finger pointed at him, wagging it back and forth. "No me golpees con ese español, chico lindo." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Puedo hablar con bastante fluidez." His effortless grin made her smile. "Not perfectly, but still." Her nervous giggle only made him smile even more. "But anyways, you do." She gripped the railing behind her, her head leaning forward and tipping toward the ground. "I see myself in you, the same lost little kid who doesn't know what she's doing and where she belongs."  
  
She shifted, leaning back and taking in a deep breath. Her hand reached out and grasped his, squeezing it tightly. "I don't want you to feel lost anymore. I know all I wanted back then was for someone to grab me and say, 'It's _okay_. You'll live. You'll find your place in life and where you belong and you'll be okay'." She faced him, taking his other hand, her rofjinn falling from her grasp and catching on the railing. "You'll be _okay_ , Reyes."  
  
He took in a shuddering breath, his eyes falling shut against the sudden swell of tears hitting him, his heart squeezing painfully. His jaw clenched and he leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers. "I..." he shakily sighed, the noise wavering. "I don't deserve this. Not after everything I've done to you." He managed, his rich voice broken.  
  
"Yes, you do." Her arms wrapped around his neck and she tugged him into a tight hug, his arms falling around her waist. "You're officially apart of this crazy family of misfits." A sob heaved in his chest and her arms tightened around him. "I'm here for you, okay? I love you, man."


	19. know no better

"So..." She slowly started, "you'll take care of my outpost?" Her head cocked to the side as she questioned him, her legs idly swinging from her perch on the vidcall center's dash, her rofjinn loosely hanging around her small shoulders and pooling around her hips.  
  
"Promise," Reyes purred as he leaned closer to her and pressed his shoulder against hers, the biggest grin on her face from the motion. He smirked, his whiskey eyes warm as they met hers. " _Especially_ after you deemed me a part of this crazy family of misfits."  
  
She laughed as he winked at her, her body curling forward as she buried her face in her hands, her cheeks burning. "Oh, yeah, it's a nice little family. You'll fit in perfectly, trust me. We're all a little crazy and have poor perceptions of what plans are called."  
  
Liam snorted indignantly from down below. His chuckle flitted through the air as he tossed a wadded up piece of paper up at them, hitting her square in the face. _Fuck him and his precision aiming._ She squeaked, batting it away and yelling a curse down at him. "Says you, Lala! I happen to be very good at making plans!"  
  
"Oh?" She grinned and pushed away from the dash, making her way over to lean over the railing, pursing her lips down at him and waggling her eyebrows. "What about that one time you tried to weasel information outta that guy at the Tavetaan on Aya? Didn't he throw his drink at you and nearly had you arrested?"  
  
The brunette gasped dramatically, falling back against the research center's console as his hand pressed against his heart. "Girl, you know what?" His hands covered his face and he sighed. Loudly. "Fuck you, Lala!"  
  
Jaal's laughter flitted in as the techlab doors whooshed open, him waltzing out of it with James in tow, his big arm wrapped around the smaller man's shoulders. "Darling one," he called up with the happiest grin, mirth on his face as he waved at her, her waving back down at him with the biggest smile. "Our brother just got through telling me about that one time you..." He hesitated, his brows furrowing as he glanced over at James for help.  
  
"That one time we went to Cocoa Beach," the angara burst into laughter at the memory as James spoke, the biggest smile on her brother's face, "and you got totally sunburnt all over your body 'cause you decided to be dumb and not use sunscreen and you couldn't move for like, a week after. I still have those pictures on my omnitool, which, yes, I did show your boy toy. He got his own copy of them, too." Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she sighed. Loudly.  
  
Laughter echoed through the room and she slowly slunk down against the railing, poking her head between the bars and irritatedly glaring down at the three troublemakers below her, pointedly ignoring the laughter behind her. _You were supposed to be my friend, Reyes! Shit._

"Anyways," she started slowly, shooting a death glare at Jaal. He shot her the cockiest, most smug look and she rolled her eyes. _I swear._ "Reyes is gonna help us set up an outpost on Kadara." She hopped up, grinning devilishly and tightening her rofjinn around her. "Addison can _suck_ it." Her finger marked a tally mark in the air. "One more for me, none for her."  
  
_"Liam,"_ Sam's voice echoed through the room, _"you have a new message waiting for you at your email terminal."_ Liam's eyebrows shot up at the AI's words before they furrowed and he nodded his head briskly, shooting a fleeting wave at Kylie as he took off. Kylie watched him, confusion dancing on her face. "What's gotten into him?" She called down, shooting a glance behind her at Reyes. He shrugged at her and she took off down the ramp.  
  
"I am unsure." Jaal started as she sidled up beside him, his arm wrapping around her and pressing her against him as they began to walk through the research room, heading towards the cargo room. "If I recall, I believe he had been messaging back and forth with that Verand contact he's told us about."  
  
Kylie paused in her steps, causing him to freeze. She tiptoed and pursed her lips at him, waggling her eyebrows. He smiled warmly and leaned down, allowing her to press a kiss against his cheek before he gripped under her thighs and hoisted her up, squeezing her against him.

Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms loosely hung around his neck. His forehead pressed against hers and her eyes fell shut, the softest smile on her face. "Verand, huh?" She murmured, her fingers ghosting across the front of his rofjinn. "Figured he dropped her awhile back, haven't heard alotta 'bout her lately."  
  
The angara shrugged, the motion hoisting her higher against him and she giggled, tightening her legs around his waist. He sighed happily. "Maybe something new popped up?" Her big grin at his words made him pause, his brows furrowing. "Did I use something wrong again?"  
  
"No," she mumbled against his lips before kissing the tip of his flat nose, a smile relaxing across his face. "You've been getting almost all of our idioms right lately." A pause, her brows slowly furrowing, her lips pursing. "Is someone teaching you behind my back?"  
  
He laughed hard. "Maybe..." He rumbled slowly, a purr deep in his chest, his eyes narrowing and the smuggest grin tugging at his lips. At the quirk of her brow and the softest hint of frustration in her icy eyes, his smug grin widened. "Our brother."  
  
"I _knew_ it!" She pushed his shoulders, a happy giggle escaping her.

* * *

  
"Augie, please -" His pleading voice was muffled through the doors and Kylie froze in her tracks. "I can't do this alone, man!" She backtracked, stopping in front of Liam's little cargo room and pressing her ear against the metal. _"Liam, we're a bunch of colonists. Not sure how much help we'd be in a firefight."_  
  
Liam growled loudly, the sound of something colliding against metal echoing through the doors. She shuddered, almost able to imagine him wincing as he pulled away. " _Please_ , Augie! I messed up. I can't let Kylie know." His voice trembled, a loud, frustrated sigh leaving him. "She's going through so much right now, you know? I can't add on me being a disappointment to all of the Initiative to that list."  
  
"Sam," Kylie's brows furrowed, "open the doors."  
  
The doors hissed open and Liam gasped, slamming his hand on his omnitool and immediately severing the connection of his comms, static fading to nothing. "O-Oh," he stammered, forcing his usual big smile on his face. "Hey... You!" He awkwardly pointed at her with a trembling hand, his breathing heavy. "What you..." He slowly furrowed his brows, shaking his head as he desperately grasped at what to say. "What you up to? Usual Lala things?"  
  
Kylie gradually made her way to his couch as he spoke and plopped down, pulling her legs under her and leaning back, her arms lounging across the couch's backrest. "You know and I know I have ears. I'm nearly positive I have ears, Lola. Like, certain."  
  
"Really?" A slow smirk crawled across his face as he plopped down beside her and extended his legs, his bare feet resting in her lap. "I couldn't tell. Kinda figured you were an elf, actually."  
  
She scoffed, tossing one of the couch's pillows at him. It hit his face with a dull thud and he sputtered, tossing it back at her. "You doof!" She giggled, kicking his leg with hers. "What's going on? I heard you talking to Augie. Something about," her hand twisted in the air, plopping the pillow down on the floor while one of her eyes squinted and a brow quirked up, "being a disappointment to me? Which, by the way," she tilted her head and leaned forward, grabbing his hands and squeezing them, "never happens."  
  
His expression grew soft, his eyes unfocused as they darted down to stare at their hands inerlaced in his lap. His breath hitched, his eyes squeezing shut. "I..." He took in a shuddering deep breath. "I might..." A frustrated growl ripped from his throat and his hands furiously pulled away from hers and rubbed at his face.

He shot up from the couch and paced the room, his hands grabbing at his coiled hair and pulling. Words came out in a rush before he could stop himself. "This whole Verand contact I've been talking to? I fucked up. I'm _so_ fucking sick and tired of everyone being so goddamn _selfish_ in this fucking galaxy!"  
  
Liam's hands furiously pointed at various places in the air, his chocolate eyes angry as his pacing increased, nearly burning a path into the floor. "'You're too much of an outsider. You don't belong here. Fuck you, I refuse to give you new ways to develop food and resources and I hope you fucking die'. Like, what?!"

She slowly stood as he sputtered over his words, taking a few careful steps towards him. "We're all fucking _stuck_ here! If we don't get along and do shit together, everyone's gonna fucking goddamn _die_ and then Andromeda will be _barren_ and the Initiative would've been for shit nothing!"  
  
He shook his head hard, his hands reaching back into his coiled hair, breathless. "So, I took matters into my own hands. Gave Verand important Nexus information in exchange for stable food sources for our outposts, only..." A pause and her hand darted out, grasping his shoulder. He froze in his steps, his shoulders slouching in defeat. "She disappeared after I sent them." He slowly turned to face her, his deep eyes wide and sad, his lip quivering. "I haven't heard anything from her in over a fucking week, Kylie."  
  
Kylie said nothing as she reached up and yanked him into a tight hug. His hands desperately gripped her hips and his voice cracked, his chest shuddering as a sob bit through him. His hands let go of her hips and wrapped tightly around her small waist, his voice cracking. "I fucked up. I fucked everything up, Kylie. I can't believe I was such a goddamn _idiot_."  
  
"You're not an idiot, Liam." Her voice was so soft as her arms tightened around his neck, his chin burrowing into her shoulder. "You were doin' what you thought was best. I get it. I'm not mad and I'm definitely not disappointed in you." His chest heaved and his arms tightened around her waist, a whimper escaping him as he fought back his emotions. "If there's anything I've learned from this whole shitshow, it's that you can fix even the worst shit."  
  
Another soft whimper filled the quiet room, the soft humming of the television screen behind them slowly drowning the sound out. "It's okay, Liam. Nobody hates you." She back stepped towards the couch, gently maneuvering them back down into its cushions.

They relaxed into a clump and he sighed shakily, a hand furiously wiping at his face as he tried to pull himself back together. "Andromeda's..." A scoff, "Andromeda's kinda been really shitty to everyone so far."  
  
"I know." His words were mumbled, his eyes pointedly focused on the floor, his shoulders slack and his face just sad. It hurt to look at him. "I feel so fucking bad. They're gonna blame _you_ because of _my_ fuck up."  
  
Her hands cradled his jaw and forced him to look up at her, the emotion tugging at his face almost too much to look at. "Lola." He softly smiled at the nickname, the smallest, softest motion making her heart hurt even more. "We can fix it. Let's fix it. Tell me what we need to do."

* * *

  
"Oookay, we're all set to go." Kylie slowly nodded as her finger ghosted over the galaxy map at the horizon of asteroids aimlessly floating in space. "Somewhere, I guess. I hope."  
  
"This is on me," the doors to the bridge hissed open as he walked in, his brows furrowed, determination dancing in his narrowed brown eyes. "I'll take care of it." Liam crossed the distance and stood behind Kylie, his hands coming up to rest on her hips.  
  
She indignantly scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Uh, no. You're not going anywhere by yourself, dumb-dumb." Her head tilted back and she ran her hand through his coiled hair, earning the smallest smile from him. "We're fixing this. Together."  
  
A shaky sigh escaped him, his eyes squeezing shut for the briefest second before he pulled himself back together. "Right," he slowly glanced over at Suvi. "Any sign of the pirate who took my contact?"  
  
"There's..." Suvi's ginger brows furrowed, her fingers furiously tapping on the controls. "There's too much background radiation, Liam." She looked over at the two, worry dancing in her eyes. "Could be anything hiding out there, with all that debris in orbit."  
  
His eyes squeezed shut and he groaned, releasing the girl from his grip to approach the galaxy map, his hands gripping the railing as he watched various asteroids aimlessly float through space. "That tracks, heard they were scavengers." A pause. "I..." He hesitated, his shoulders stiff. "I'd hoped Augie or some of our colonists would follow, join in."  
  
"Yeah, I heard you guys talking about that." Kylie shot him a little grin, shaking her head as she stepped closer to him, leaning against the railing. "I heard him go on and on about how," her hands gestured, her voice mimicking his old man tone. "'We're just colonists, not fighters!'"  
  
His laugh made her laugh, the two melting into giggles. "Yeah, yeah. Well," he sighed as he reined himself back in, the biggest grin on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest, "figured we could use some kinda help, not knowing what we're up against."  
  
"We'll be fine without them, Lola. What you got? Any kinda plan, oh wise one?"  
  
"Oh," Liam scoffed as he pushed her shoulder, earning a cocky grin from her. "Somewhere out there is a ship full of pirates with my contact. They might have our specs..."  
  
"Thanks to you," Kallo quipped in from behind them. Kylie's hand shot out, accusingly pointing her finger at the salarian. "Shush! Don't you have a ship to fly?" He grumbled, shaking his head and focusing all of his attention back on the controls.  
  
"Yeah..." Liam grumbled back at the salarian, pointedly glaring at the galaxy map. "Yeah, thanks to my ass. So, we can't go in hot. I say," he looked back at Kylie, his brows slowly furrowing in thought, "we play with their scavenger roots. With..." He hesitated as he looked back at the galaxy map, mulling over a thought for a moment before pointing at an asteroid belt. "That debris. I'll explain in the airlock."  
  
When she quirked a brow at him, a surge of frustration hit him. Hard. "We've wasted enough time, Lala! We gotta go. Let's go hit the go button, shoot pirates, and save the day." His hands landed on her shoulders, squeezing them tightly. "We've got this."  
  
"Just like superheroes?"  
  
"I thought you'd - Wait, what?" He nearly sputtered in disbelief, his eyes searching hers before he chuckled breathlessly. She gave him the biggest smile and his entire being relaxed, relief dancing up his spine while the biggest grin tugged on his full lips. He nodded his head. "Just like superheroes."

* * *

  
Silence hung in the darkness as the four of them stood crammed into a cargo box, the only sounds their muffled breathing. A few drawn out minutes later, Kylie huffed and tapped her helmet, the light flickering on and casting an eery blue glow through the blackness. She shot a pointed glare in Liam's direction, the man slowly growing sheepish the longer she glared. "I'm _not_ loving this, Lola."  
  
His helmet's light flickered on, his hands gesturing wildly. "Come on! Hiding in derelict cargo to get scavenged?" He grinned, the motion barely visible as he looked around at the blackness engulfing them. "Just like one of those vids we watched last week!"  
  
"Lola!" She huffed loudly. "This isn't a vid. We're not in a movie right now, we're literally sitting ducks against God knows what." A light beside her flickered on to reveal a very confused Jaal. "Sitting ducks?" He shot her an incredulous look and she grinned at him, biting her bottom lip to hold back a giggle.  
  
Liam sputtered beside Jaal, James' laughter hitting hard from his right at the angaran man's face. "Sure, we don't know what we're up against, but neither do they! Trojan horse _simple_."  
  
"Trojan..." The angara grumbled, his hand fumbling in the darkness before it finally found hers. His big hand squeezed her small hand as he spoke, his brows furrowed as a harsh breath left him. "Horse? What... What's a... Horse? Or a sitting duck? And how do we even know that there's air out there?"  
  
Kylie bit back a giggle, her hand squeezing Jaal's. "You're so cute, Jaal." He blushed deeply, a warm grin spreading across his face as James' laughter grew into a near screech, the sound of him slapping his knee echoing through the cargo. "Holy shit, I love this vid so far, Lili."  
  
"Shut up, JJ!" Liam hissed as he pushed his shoulders, which only made him melt into even more laughter until he slowly melted onto the floor, his back hitting the wall. "Oh, my God. I can't get _anything_ done with you here!" He grumbled as his hands grabbed his helmet, slamming his foot against the cargo's wall and pushing the doors wide open.  
  
"There's air." The brunette took off, the other three following suit. Kylie shot Jaal the biggest grin, the angara sheepishly blushing as he squeezed her against his side before he finally let her go, the girl taking up her usual place beside Liam as they took their helmets off. She froze in her tracks, her icy eyes wide. "Uh, whoa."  
  
"Lola..." Her tone grew serious, her brows furrowing. She faced him and gave his shoulder a hard push. "You said to expect _pirates_. This is a _kett_ ship." Her words came out in a hiss, her hand motioning forward as their eyes slowly took in their surroundings. "A _big_ one."  
  
Liam very slowly looked over at her, his eyes wide and his jaw slack in shock. "Change..." His words mumbled for a second. "Change of plans?" He slowly, hopelessly grinned. Her eyes rolled hard and she pushed his shoulders again, shooting him a death glare while she reached for her gun. "You seriously just didn't use my own saying against me."  
  
"Just did."  
  
"Fuck you."  
  
"Whatever!" He yelled out as he reached for his gun, the four of them bolting into cover as alarms boomed through the ship, red lights flashing everywhere. "It's a kett ship, I'll admit it. You're right, Lala. But... Scavenging isn't their MO!"  
  
Kylie rolled into cover as gunfire erupted from across the room. _"Alarms, Liam!"_ She yelled in their comms and his indignant huff sounded from behind her. _"I know!"_ He hissed back, dodging a bullet flying his way. _"Definitely not kett, though!"_  
  
_"Let's shut these dumbasses down!"_ James quipped in, a biotic explosion erupting from his body as he surged forward. Kylie instinctively joined him, her purple electricity crackling around her in sharp bursts as she charged, slamming a nova right into a group of mercenaries. The enemies slowly fell and the other two carefully joined them, their eyes searching the vast expanse of the room.  
  
_"Report!"_ A voice boomed through the room, Kylie very nearly jumping from the comm terminal flitting to life beside her. _"What's going on down there? I need answers, **now**!"_ Liam quirked a brow at her as they approached it, the other two following them right on their heels. "Maybe we could get some answers?"  
  
_"For the last time, report! We just fixed those_ bay _seals. If you idiots blew them, I'll have your skins!"_ Her hand hovered over the comm as she shot Liam the most amused look, slowly pressing on the hologram. Static sounded before it cleared out and tuned it, "oh, everything's under control, here." She bit back a cheeky grin, glancing around the room. "Just a simple weapon malfunction." James and Liam desperately attempted to hold back their laughter, helpless snickers coming from the two as they held onto each other, muffling the noises into each other's shoulders. Jaal was hopelessly amused at the entire situation. "How are you?" They lost it, erupting into a pile of giggles.  
  
_"What the fuck is this? Get cameras on the bay!"_ A pause, a voice muffled in the background. He scoffed loudly. _"Well, figure it out!"_ Kylie and Liam shot each other equally amused looks, the biggest smirks on their faces.  
  
The comm flitted back to life, the hologram of an angaran man shooting across the terminal's screen. _"Stows?"_  A slow grin crawled across his face, watching as Jaal took a step closer to the girl. _"This ship is property of Talon Wing. Now you're property too, just like the rest. I don't let -"_ Her hand slammed on the disconnect button before he could finish, his voice skidding to a halt as the terminal shut down.  
  
They stared at her in awe, James trembling from the aftershock of his unabridged laughter. "What?" She grinned, unholstering her gun. "That definitely wasn't going anywhere useful, guys. Shoot pirates, rescue contact?" Liam hummed in agreement, approaching a set of doors while Jaal and James followed after him. "She's here, somewhere." He started, lifting his wrist and tapping into his omnitool. "Think they salvaged this thing?"  
  
"Well," Jaal grumbled, eyeing Liam. "They're definitely _not_ kett." Kylie nodded. "Sam," she started, glancing up at the ceiling. "You got us, Sassy?"  
  
_"Not precisely. Debris and radiation are still disrupting scans."_ She sighed. "Okay, so where to?"  
  
"Find Verand and fast." Liam nodded his head furiously, taking off to a doorway nearby. "This way, I'm sure of it." The three of them stood in front of the door, guns raised and ready as he tapped the door's controls. They hissed open and revealed a turret turning and hyper-focusing on them.

Kylie gasped and Jaal pushed the girl out of the way, standing in front of her without a second thought while James threw himself away from the door. Liam very nearly squealed as he desperately slammed the controls, the doors hissing shut just as the turret went off. "Not that way. _This_ way."

* * *

  
"Come on!" Liam paced furiously back and forth as Kylie fiddled around with the console that locked the doors they needed through, "we have to find Verand!" His hands grabbed at his coiled hair, tugging as he grimaced, shooting Jaal a weary look.  
  
"We don't even know if this is the way," the angaran man hummed from beside the console, his arms folding over his chest. "Yeah," the girl added in, knelt down in front of the console and tapping away at her omnitool, alternating between biting her bottom lip and pursing her lips as she focused. "Relax, Lola."  
  
"Something has to go right!" His voice came out harsh as he stormed up to a metal cargo container. "You take a risk for the right reason, it's supposed to _fucking_ work!" His fist collided with the metal and he winced as he pulled away, shaking his hand as he fought back tears. Jaal's hand met his shoulder and he shook it off with a growl.  
  
Kylie pulled away from the console and crossed her arms, quirking up a brow at him. "The teacher isn't gonna like that you dented your locker, Lola." His chocolate eyes shot wide open at her and he threw his arms up, frustration and desperation eating away at him. "This isn't funny! It's not a goddamn joke!"  
  
"It kinda is."  
  
He very nearly screamed, his hands grabbing his hair and pulling, hard. "It's not! I jumped us here _blind!_ " Tears bit at his chocolate eyes as he approached her, staring down into her wide, shocked blue eyes at his near meltdown. "We don't know where anyone is," the terminal beside them flickered to life to reveal Calot's angry face and his hand slammed on the disconnect button, "or how anything works!"  
  
"And now we're fighting some asshole who wants everyone chained!" His hand violently gestured to the terminal, his body shaking. "It's like hitting Andromeda all over again!"  
  
Calot's face flickered back to life, his mouth opening to speak before they could disconnect from him again. _"I've sealed the bay, there's -"_ Kylie's hand slammed over the disconnect button this time. "Lola, don't make this about the whole Initiative! It's not your entire fucking responsibility and you need to know that!" Her hands balled into fists as she took a step towards him, her brows furrowing. "We're here to help, and -" She paused, leaning away from him and her eyebrows shooting up, a hand coming up over her heart. "Why am _I_ defending your plan?"  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
The comm terminal flitted back to life, the angaran man on the screen positively seething. _"I will not be ignored anymore!"_ Liam took a step closer, his eyes scanning the man's features before he looked back at the girl, his brows furrowing. "See?" She took a step closer and glared down at him, her brows furrowed before a little grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Total asshole."  
  
_"That's it! Space them!"_ A voice stuttered in the background. _"But, Calot, we can't -"_ His hand came up to reveal a gun clasped in it. The screen flickered to nothing as a gunshot fired and Kylie's stomach dropped. _"I will not be ignored!"_  
  
The bay doors hissed open behind them, the air yanking them backward. Their bodies rapidly started flying toward the empty space of air outside of the ship, hitting various boxes and debris as they neared the open doors. Kylie's screamed echoed as she bounced off of Jaal, slamming into a bar of metal railing and desperately grabbing on, the others managing to find purchase on various items. "Ah, shit!" Liam's hand came loose as debris hit it, his body flinging to the side and colliding with the girl's. Her grip slipped and she bit back a scream, desperately reaching out and grabbing Jaal's arm.  
  
A near desperate laugh escaped the brunette as Kylie scoffed beside him, her eyes flickering over and meeting his. The look in his eyes made her laugh hard and they erupted into giggles, disbelief at the situation. "Lola, hold me!"  
  
"You're kidding me, right?!" James yelled from his spot beside the angara, his eyes shooting wide and angry. He attempted to muster up the most pissed off look at them, his nose flaring. "I'm sad I can't fucking punch both of you!"  
  
"Not impressed!" Jaal grumbled as his body quivered from the effort, his arms straining to hold on.  
  
A voice flickered to life in their comms, Kylie and Liam's eyes shooting wide open and locking with each other's gaze. _"You folks need a hand?"_ The same disbelieving, almost happy smile lit up their faces. _"Augie?!"_ Kylie panted, her eyes searching the empty space beneath them. _"You have timing!"_ Liam quipped, the biggest look of relief pulling at his features.  
  
_"I would have come sooner, but I wasn't sure how we could help. Brainstormed with the colonists a little, figured out our own special way. Settlers aren't soldiers, but we're damn good at working together."_  
  
"Oh, hell yeah!" Liam very nearly screamed as the doors behind them sealed shut and they fell to the ground, clattering around each other. _"Oh, this thing does not like being prodded."_ The ground shook as they managed to scramble to their feet, the gravitational pull of the ship gradually turning until they started to stumble around. "Oh, fuck! It's the artificial gravity!" Kylie called out, a screaming ripping from her as they were tossed to the side. "Everything's shifting!"  
  
_"Ryder, Liam, you good?"_ Liam desperately scrambled to his feet as James helped Kylie up from her spot atop Jaal, the girl grumbling loudly under her breath while the angara sputtered beneath her. She felt queasy, the room shaking. "It's fucking sideways, Liam. _Sideways_."  
  
"I know!" His fist collided with one of the walls, frustration itching up his spine. "Fuck, we're good, Augie. Let's get moving."

* * *

  
"Verand!" Liam's voice rose in worry, his hands slamming against the monitor's screen as the image of the angara and various other captives flickered to life on the screen. "Holy shit, they don't just have _her_ , they have _others_ , Kylie!" His eyes shot wide open as he looked over at the stunned girl, his breathing heavy. "They weren't planning on attacking the Nexus _soon_ , they already had!"

Tears bit at his eyes. He punched the screen hard, pain bolting up his fists as he pushed away from it and paced around furiously, his breathing quick and his vision blurry. His voice slowly rose until he was very nearly yelling the words, his voice trembling. "Holy fuck. Everything's so wrong! I can't believe I'm such a fuck up!"  
  
James' hands gently grabbed his elbows, pulling him out of his destructive trance while Kylie got to work on hacking the sequencer for the door. "Hey," he started softly, the brunette pausing and staring at him with wide, cold eyes. "Lili, it's okay. Breathe."

Arms encircled him and pulled him into a crushing hug, Liam all but melting into his touch as he finally broke down. All of the emotions he's bottled up over this whole thing finally broke, broken sobs leaving him as his grip tightened dangerously on the man, his face buried in the crook of his neck. "You're good, I've got you. Breathe, okay?"  
  
"I've got the doors open, Lola. Let's go give them hell."

* * *

  
Guns were raised and anger was dancing in their eyes as they pushed through the final set of doors, their eyes frantically flickering around their surroundings before they landed on a heavily armored angaran man atop a perch, anger radiating in his entire being. "Get a ship, fill it with shooters and I'm _still_ fucking disrespected!" His gun raised and they bolted into cover. "Fine. Fine!"  
  
"Get over yourself!" Kylie called out from her spot in cover, glaring at him through her sniper rifle's scope. "You're just a little nobody, you little fucker!"  
  
Calot hissed, aiming his gun right for her cover. "Nobody is taking anything from me ever again, _Pathfinder!_ " He ground out the words through gritted teeth, his nose flaring, his breathing heavy and hard. "I'll kill you _myself!_ "  
  
"Fuck off!" James called out, gunfire erupting through the room at his words.  
  
Liam dove next to the girl in cover, yanking her down and rolling with her to another set of cargo boxes, peeking out over the top and pointing out an eiroch slowly making its way down the set of stairs near their cover. "Calot's got a pet!"  
  
_"And a shield pulling directly from the drive core. Hold on, we're gonna try to hack it!"_ August's voice flitted through their comms and Kylie shot a pointed glare up at the angara. "I _hate_ this guy so much!"  
  
"You and me both!"  
  
_"Found a weakness!"_ Kuriada's voice came in a moment later, _"hit the marked console, Pathfinder!"_ She glanced around the room for a moment, her brows furrowing before she finally saw the terminal and took off in a sprint. "On it, Kuriada!"  
  
_"We'll hack his shield one port at a time! Make it happen, Pathfinder!"_  
  
The final shield fell minutes later and Liam took the opportunity to charge right for Calot. _"Liam!"_ James' voice echoed through their comms, watching in disbelief as his gun erupted into a flurry, his omnitool ripping out its glowing red blade.

"This one's for Verand!" He yelled as his omnitool's knife slammed right through the middle of the angara's torso. Calot grunted in pain, stumbling backward as Liam charged again, his gun shooting a hole through the wound he just made. "This one's for me dragging Augie's old ass out here!" His blade sunk deep into his chest, a sickening noise ripping from the angara's throat.  
  
_"Lola! Stop!"_ Kylie called out into their comms, bolting up the set of stairs to take place beside James, Jaal following right behind her. Silent tears ran down the brunette's face as he repeated the actions again and again until Calot fell dead at his feet and he crumpled to his knees, slamming his blade over and over into his bloodied, mangled stomach with a sickening squelch. "Fuck you," his voice whimpered, his hands trembling and his eyes unfocused on the angara's body. "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you -"  
  
James crashed to his knees and tackled the man away from the corpse, wrapping his arms and legs around him as tightly as possible, trying his best to ground the man. "Lili, you're okay. Breathe." His whimpers grew louder, a sob ripping from his throat as his arms wrapped around the man's waist, his face contorting in grief. "I'm here, babe. It's okay." James' hands drew a soft, comforting pattern on his back.

"We gotta get outta here, Lili. Can you stand?" He nodded into the nook of his shoulder, his breath shaky and uneven. "Come on, it's okay."

* * *

  
The trip back to the Tempest was eerily quiet. Silence hung in the air as they made their way through the cargo hold. The only sound was Liam's occasional sniffling as he desperately tried to compose himself as him and Kylie made their way to the bridge, the other two branching off to do their own things. "Oh, don't tell me a stock shuttle can mag-lock like that," Kallo started with a dangerous smirk on his face. "I saw," he said in a sing-songy tone, his eyes twinkling.  
  
August laughed hard from his hologram, his eyes scrunching up. _"Don't spread it around now, Kallo."_ His eyes landed on the two as they made their way in, Liam's shoulders slack in defeat. Kylie's arm wrapped around his waist and tugged him against her, the saddest smile slowly pulling on his tired face at her. Her heart hurt, her hand reaching down to squeeze his. He weakly squeezed it back. _"There you are, my two favorite kids! Safe and sound now?"_  
  
"Yeah," Liam's voice was so soft and lackluster, emotion pulling at the edges. So unlike himself. "We are, I guess." The hologram's eyes flickered to Kylie with a knowing look and she shot him a nervous smile, slightly shrugging her shoulders at the quirk of his brow. _"Yeah, we got everyone out just in time. The inside of that boat is six kinds of irradiated now."_  
  
Kylie whistled, shaking her head. _"Hold on,"_ August started as he turned his head to acknowledge someone entering the room. _"Someone wants to say goodbye."_ He stood up and slowly Verand appeared, the happiest smile on her face as she plopped down in August's seat.  
  
Liam's breath hitched at the sight of her, relief racing through his body. _"Liam! Thank you, so much. I didn't expect..."_ She hesitated, a soft scoff leaving her. _"Whatever that was."_ His beaming smile lit up her face, a chuckle of disbelief escaping him before he could help it. "Yeah, you gave them plenty of trouble on your own, Verand."  
  
_"Maybe,"_ she giggled at his compliment, shaking her head. _"But it's good to know your friends will come."_ Her eyes slowly met Kylie's and she smiled, the girl slowly smiling back. _"And their friends, too."_ Kylie's grip around Liam tightened, earning a happy little chuckle from the man.  
  
August flickered back onto the screen, an effortless smile on his face. _"We'll take care of them, Liam. Don't worry. Most are coming to Prodromos, want to help us out. More than enough room for them."_  
  
"Sounds awesome." Liam nodded happily, a cheeky grin on his face. He wasn't sure how to feel right now. "Take care, Augie."  
  
_"You too, Liam. And next time, let's just stick to cards. I'm too old for this shit."_

* * *

  
"Well, that worked out." James started as he heard footsteps echo behind him in the vidcall center, his hands on the railing as he stared out into the window. He watched the ship they had just escaped aimlessly float around, electricity crackling from various parts on it. Definitely way too damaged for them to even try to get any kinda use out of it, no doubt.  
  
Liam hesitated to speak as he took up his usual spot beside the guy, his shoulders slack and his chocolate eyes downcast, his finger rubbing against his forearm. His voice came out shaky. "I guess so. I mean, aside from me fucking everything up and making a complete idiot of myself, you mean."  
  
"Lili..." James' brows furrowed, slowly turning to face him. "What you did back there was true Ryder family fashion." His hands reached out to cradle the man's stubbly jaw, forcing him to look up at him. The sadness dancing in his chocolate eyes made a shiver race up James' spine. "We try so hard to do something right but it just fucks itself up until it seems like we made a complete mistake. It's okay."  
  
Chocolate eyes searched his icy blue ones and his breath hitched, slightly chewing his bottom lip. "Ryder family fashion?" The slowest, smallest grin tugged at his lips, his tired eyes almost sparkling. "What? I'm apart of the family now?"  
  
"Oh, you've only known us for, what, 605 years?" That earned a boisterous laugh from the brunette, his body curling over the railing as James' hands fell from his face and his knees almost buckling. James' felt a blush dance across his cheeks, clearing his throat. "I mean, you know. If you wanna be apart of the family, that is. You've technically always been a Ryder, you know."  
  
He desperately attempted to compose himself, his body shaking from soft chuckles as he straightened back up, turning his body to face him and leaning against the railing. "Oh, I'd love to, JJ. Couldn't imagine being anywhere without my Ryder twins." He rubbed at his eye for dramatic effect, a cocky grin on his face. "Brings a tear to the eye if I try to imagine otherwise."  
  
James laughed, his eyes scrunching up and his nose wrinkling in the cutest way, Liam's heart seizing in his chest. "Aw, you're so cute, Lili!" His smile slowly faltered, his breath slowly leaving him as they held each other's gaze. A shiver ran up his spine and his eyes flickered to the ground, his arm crossing to hold his other arm's elbow.  
  
"Liam..." A shaky breath. "I have something I have to tell you. And I'm pretty sure it's, you know, super obvious because me and Kylie are emotional hot-heads who don't think things through and we wear our hearts on our sleeves." He took a step closer, his voice trembling.

Liam's heart entirely stopped, a strange feeling numbing his legs. "But I've known this for years and I've hidden it from you because I was scared. I was terrified that you wouldn't understand or that you didn't... You didn't swing that way or something, I don't... I don't even know."  
  
"James..." His breath hitched and his hands darted out, James' meeting his and their fingers slowly lacing.  
  
"No, please. Listen." A pause, his breath hitching. His eyes darted down to look at the floor, slowly squeezing shut as he grounded himself. He looked back up, the intensity in his gaze almost too much for Liam. The ship through the window burst into flames, a brilliant red-orange hue casting through the window and bathing them in colors. "I'm... Completely and utterly in love with you, Liam."


	20. sorry

Disbelief. Relief. His heart skipped a beat, his body freezing. A rush of air left him that he wasn't even aware he'd been holding in and his hands lamely fell from James', his eyes falling shut as he pressed the man's body up against the railing in front of the window, the orange bathing them slowly dying down.

The lowlight of the vidcall center barely lit them from behind, his chocolate eyes slowly opening and meeting the gaze of icy ones. A shuddering breath left him as his hands grasped the railing on either side of James' body, pinning him there while his heart uselessly hammered in his chest, making it hard to breathe.  
  
"God, I know. I've known forever." Liam was breathless as he leaned in with the ghost of a happy chuckle, his nose softly brushing against James'. His soft chuckle turned into a disbelieving laugh, his forehead pressing against his before he crushed him into a searing kiss, their teeth slightly clinking from the intensity and their eyes falling shut. "God," he managed between slow, searing kisses, "I fucking love you."

James' heart skipped a beat as his lips pressed a giddy, uncontrollable smile into the kiss as Liam's hands grasped his hip, goosebumps dotting his umber skin. James' trembling hands reached up and curled in the brunette's dark, coiled hair, a soft sigh escaping him at the touch. "I love you

"I love you _so_ fucking much." One of Liam's hands snaked up to cradle his jaw, deepening the kiss, his other hand slowly sliding up the front of his shirt, fingertips ghosting up his soft skin and goosebumps following their wake until -  
  
"Hey, Jay, I can't find that report that you -" Her words came to a screeching halt as she skidded to a stop at the top of the ramp, the datapad in her hand clattering to the ground at the sight she came up to. Their bodies froze in place before Liam's eyes slowly opened, a deep flush dancing across his dark skin, his eyes searching James' icy ones as they opened.

The emotion hanging in them made Liam shiver, a shaky breath leaving him as he slowly pulled away from James, brief panic on his face before it gave way to the cockiest, laziest, and most sly grin. His arm lazily slinked around her brother's waist and tugged him against him as he turned to face Kylie, the smuggest look on his face.  
  
"Hey, Kay." James purred as his arms loosely wrapped around the man's shoulders and pulled his body back against his, sticking his tongue out at his sister's stunned look as his chin nestled into the crook of Liam's neck, a few coils tickling his nose. He scrunched it up and full-body laughed at the look on her face, her dark eyebrows way up and her icy blue eyes wide in shock. Her expression? Absolutely, positively priceless.

"Guess who's finally official?" His hand slinked down Liam's arm, cascading down the curve of his back and landing on his ass, giving it a playful squeeze. The brunette very nearly squeaked before he melted into a snorty giggle, pushing his hips against James'.  
  
Shock briefly registered in her brain before she actually squeaked, jumping up and down in excitement. All she wanted to do was scream as she barrelled towards the two men and jumped at them. Her arms wrapped around their shoulders and hugged them as tightly as she possibly ever could, her excited giggles filling the room as she very nearly bounced up and down.

"Oh, my God!" Their laughter joined hers at her fumbling exclamations. "No way! Holy shit!" Their giddy, happy laughter mixed with James' most adorable snorty chuckle echoed through the vidcall center and doors below them hissed open at the noise they were making, a very curious Jaal peeking out from the techlab.  
  
"What's going on up there?" The angara curiously called out as he made his way up the ramp, only to find the three of them hugging it out in the corner. Jaal's brows furrowed and he pouted, big arms folding over his broad chest. "A cuddle party? Without _me_ ," his hand gestured to himself, his pout growing. "The teddybear? The ultimate cuddler?"

He feigned hurt, a hand pressing over his heart as he effortlessly crossed the room and hurried over to them. In one fell swoop, he scooped the three of them effortlessly up into his big arms, spinning them around with the biggest, happiest smile on his face. His booming laughter made her feel so warm inside.  _This is what it's like to be happy, isn't it?_  
  
Her eyes flickered from the love of her life to her brothers, her heart feeling heavy and full in the best way.  _I'm out of hell now, aren't I? This is..._ Liam squealed as Jaal plopped them back down and ghosted his fingers across his sides, swatting his hands away as he bolted away from his touch.  _They're my family._ James was wrecked with laughter, doubling over beside her as Jaal began to chase him around the room, his thick fingers dangerously waggling in the air. "You cannot escape from me, Liam!" 

"Just watch me!" The brunette stuck his tongue out at the angaran man behind him as he dashed around the vidcall center, pulling himself up onto it and standing square in the middle. His hands landed on his hips in victory, shooting the angaran the most cockiest look. "Did it."

"Fuck over," he grumbled in defeat, huffing as he gave up on the chase and decided to slink his way over to his girlfriend, his arms slowly wrapping around her small waist. His body leaned forward and his chin landed in the crook of her neck, an irritated, short sigh escaping him. "Atleast my darling one doesn't run away from me."

"If you try to tickle me, we're over." Jaal's fingers dangerously hovered near her sides before he laughed heartily, opting to squeeze her tighter and press a kiss against her neck. "Wouldn't dream of it. Atleast," he purred into her ear, his deep voice sending a shiver running up her spine, "I'll get you when you're least expecting it."

A finger brushed along her side and she squeaked, batting it away. "God," she laughed, grabbing his hand and holding it to her stomach. "Babe, guess what?"  
  
The angara remained silent for a moment as his brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed suspiciously, watching as James approached the vidcom with the sleaziest grin on his face. "What?" He murmured into her ear as he watched James jokingly exaggerate his steps, sticking his tongue out at the man perched on the center and earning the cutest laugh from the brunette, the happiest look on James' face. "They're _official_."  
  
"What?!" His jaw dropped and his brows shot up, looking over at the two men ogling each other, waggling their eyebrows and melting into laughter before his expression melted into pure joy and his booming laugh echoed through the room. He gently, oh-so-carefully released his grip from her waist and rushed over to crush James in a hug, his whole being overwhelmed with joy.

"I can't believe it! It's about time, you know." Jaal waggled his eyebrows at Liam, a cocky smirk pulling at his lips as he plopped down from his perch. "Gil owes me twenty credits."  
  
"You _bet_ on us?" Liam balked as he approached them before Kylie cursed loudly and stomped her foot on the ground, pushing her rofjinn aside and digging in her pockets. He looked over at her with the most incredulous look, the most shocked smile on his face and his nostrils flaring. "Fuck, I owe you twenty credits too, Jaal. Goddamn." She rolled her eyes. "You think I'd know my own brothers."  
  
_"Ryder,"_ Lexi's voice cut through Liam's indignant scoff and they paused, looking down at their wrists. Her hand lamely fell from her pockets, worry etching its way through her stomach. _"When you have a moment, I need to see you and Jaal down in the medbay as soon as possible."_

Kylie slowly looked over at James, her dark brows furrowing in confusion. Her brother quirked up a questioning dark brow, shooting her an accusatory look before she shook her head furiously. _Not possible. No way._  
  
"Am..." She started after a second, gently approaching and grabbing Jaal's hand before she tugged him with her as she started down the ramp. "Am I in trouble?"  
  
_"Possibly."_

* * *

  
"She's just a fucking _kid_ , Lexi!" The sound of something hard hitting metal was muffled behind the doors, a growl following it. "She's nowhere near even being remotely ready for this! _Goddamn_." The medbay doors hissed open to reveal Drack and Lexi in the midst of a heated argument, the krogan huffing and puffing, his arms over his chest as he paced furiously through the room. "Drack, you need to relax. This could all just be a mix-up -"

As soon as Jaal stepped into the room, the krogan growled deeply, cutting off the asari as he rounded him, grabbed the scruff of his rofjinn and yanked him towards him, his eyes set in a deep, spine-chilling glare. " _You_ ," he snarled and the angara froze, his wide blue eyes darting over to Kylie, his bright eyes begging her for help.  
  
"Dad?" Kylie reached out and grabbed his wrist, furrowing her brows at him. He looked down at her and his expression softened, his shoulders relaxing. "What's up with you?" His hand slowly relaxed and let go of his rofjinn, a near growl leaving him as he grabbed the girl's hand instead and laced it with his, his brows furrowing as he glared daggers at the floor. "Why don't you ask your doc over there?"  
  
The two looked over at Lexi with equally confused looks. Her expression softened at them, a wary smile on her face as she approached the girl and put her hand on her shoulder. "I have to ask you a question before I tell you anything," she gently guided her away from Drack and over to one of the beds.

The girl plopped down on it, crossing her legs as she sat down. Jaal hesitated beside Drack for a moment before taking a step towards the bed, only for the krogan to hold his hand out and stop him in his tracks. Lexi took in a deep breath, her hand squeezing her shoulder. "Have you been getting your regular periods?"  
  
"Uh," Kylie hesitated at the question, her nose flaring for a split second in embarrassment before her hand irritably rubbed at her face. She glared at the ground before she forced herself to look up at the asari, dread settling in her stomach. "No, actually." She tilted her head. "The last one I had was right before we went on the Archon's flagship."  
  
"That's what I thought," Lexi mumbled as she grabbed a datapad from a nearby table and thumbed over it, her brows furrowing in thought. "Your dying on the ship interrupted the contraceptive blockers that every Initiative applicant received before cryo." Her eyes glanced up at Jaal and his eyes shot wide open, his breath hitching. Kylie's heart stopped, a chill running through her veins. _No._ His hand uselessly fumbled in the air as he took a step towards the doctor, worry in his voice. "Lexi, you're not saying -"  
  
"It's possible," Lexi interrupted him, her eyes focused on the datapad, unable to look the girl in the eyes, "that you might be pregnant, but I'm not entirely sure." Kylie's stomach dropped and she felt _sick_. _Pregnant? I'm pregnant?_   "I've been extensively researching if humans and angaras are able to reproduce with one another." She felt like she was going to throw up.

"Given the fact that the two of you are biologically compatible for the most part, there's a big possibility that you are able to have children together."  
  
She forced herself to look over at the angara and the look on his face was so soft and sweet, the shock slowly giving way to utter joy and excitement and her blood ran cold. _He wants this. Do I?_  He was very nearly bouncing in his spot with the brightest smile on his face at the mere thought of being a father, but the more she listened to Lexi talk, the more her stomach sank and her heart just _hurt_. _I'm going to be a mom. A mom. I can't..._

"So, I'm..." It was like she couldn't even say the words. No, she didn't want to. She couldn't. _This isn't real._  
  
"Pregnant," Drack added in for her at her hesitation from his corner of the medbay. "That's a lot to take in, I know. I was ready to fuckin' kill your lover-boy over there."

Jaal was overwhelmed, the happiest smile mixed with adoration and awe on his face as he stared at her. Tears bit at his bright eyes as he crossed the distance to the bed and gently pulled her up out of it, gently grasping her hands and holding her against him in a tight hug. _I can't do this._

His hands hovered over her stomach as he pulled back, the sweetest look on his face before he hefted her up, his happy laughter filling the medbay as her legs wrapped around his waist and he spun them in a slow, little circle. _I can't do this._ He looked up at her with so much awe and reverence, she felt... She doesn't know how to feel right now. _I can't do this._

"We're going to be parents, darling one. Parents," his breathless, happy, deep voice shot a shiver up her spine and she forced the smallest smile on her face for his sake, her stomach flipping.  _I'm gonna throw up._  
  
"Don't get your hopes up too much, Jaal." Lexi cut in, the angaran man looking over at her with his big, happy smile still in place. "I want her to take a pregnancy test first, just to make sure." Drack hummed in agreement, a deep sigh escaping him as he paced in a small circle.

"It's also possible that her body is just confused after dying and her period got jumbled up in the process. There's a lot of variables going on right now, but I want to make sure that she's okay, first." Her head nodded towards the girl, her skin looking as if all of her blood had been drained.

Jaal looked back at Kylie, his whole being radiating with love and adoration and joy. His bioelectricity was uncontrollable, hitting her in short bursts of energy the longer he stared at her.  _He wants this. I'm not ready._  
  
Her heart fumbled for a moment, her mind racing with thoughts, her eyes falling shut. "Okay." Kylie took in a deep, steadying breath as her eyes opened and Jaal carefully lowered her to the ground, her hands trembling. His hands laced with hers and gave them a squeeze, the angara leaning down to press his forehead to hers. Her eyes fell shut. "Okay, let's get it over with, I guess."

* * *

  
Her hands couldn't stop shaking as she made her way back to her quarters, her icy eyes glued to the ground and her mind racing with every possible scenario. Pregnant. Not pregnant. Jaal happy, Jaal sad. _Fuck. Goddamnit._  She wasn't exactly sure how to feel.

The doors hissed shut behind her and she froze in the middle of her room, glaring down at her feet as tears bit at the corners of her eyes. Her hands squeezed into fists, her nails painfully digging into her skin as she furiously blinked her eyes, desperately holding back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Her chest heaved and she felt like throwing up.  
  
_"Kylie, are you alright?"_ His monotonous voice made her feel even more nauseous, suddenly very well aware of the fact that her life had suddenly gone to shit. Alec dying, her becoming a fucking _Pathfinder_ with zero training and zero desire to be one, a fucking AI _in her brain_ , attached to her in ways even their best scientists can't understand, her dying twice and now she's suddenly facing the fact that she's _young as fuck_ and _pregnant_ in the midst of this fucking _shitshow_ -

Her voice broke before she could speak and a sob ripped from her throat, her horribly shaking hand pressing against her mouth to hold back the urge to throw up. Her brain shut off, the overwhelming urge to not feel itching up her skin and making her body twitch as she bolted over to her desk, various things clattering down and scattering as she desperately fumbled around for something, anything -  
  
_"Kylie,"_  Sam's voice made her jump, her finger jamming against the edge of her desk. She hissed, the urge for more racing up her veins, itching away at her being. He almost had a hint of worry in his voice, a shiver running up her spine, _"there is no need to hurt yourself."_ Her body froze at his words, her eyes wide as she stared down at the hand that had gotten cut, her lungs aching and her heart frozen as she watched the slightest prick of blood appear. Numb. 

 _"Talk to me."_ Her shoulders tensed, her jaw trembling and a shaky breath escaping her in a soft rush. _"I'm listening."_  
  
"I'm -" Her voice broke, her eyes squeezing shut as tears finally broke free and rolled down her face, her head jerking to the side, sniffling ugly and gross. She pressed her quivering lips together to hold back another sob. "I'm - I'm _so_ fucking scared, Sam." A shaky hand lowered from her mouth as she spoke, her hands lamely resting on her desk. Her hand slowly turned over, her icy, numb eyes glancing over her tattoo forearms, taking in the soft glint of straight scars.

"I'm such a fuck up, Sam." She shook her head, an indignant smile on her face and her brows furrowed. "I-I can't imagine having a kid and fucking them up just as much as I am. I'm so mentally fucking _ill,"_ she hissed, her eyes squeezing shut, "that I'll completely screw them up." She desperately tried to clear her throat from the bubble in it, only making it worse. "I can't be a mom, Sam."  
  
_"If you are indeed pregnant, you will not raise your child alone,_ _Kylie."_ Her breathing stopped _. "If I am correct, you will still be living on this ship after your child is born."_  This can't be real. _"You have many people aboard who would help you take care of it including Jaal, who is the father after all. He loves you,_ _Kylie. He is not the kind of person to abandon someone after they have their child. He really, truly loves you."_

Her heart ached in her chest, her body trembling as she relaxed onto her forearms, her forehead pressing against the cool metal of her desk.  _"Not to mention Drack, who views you as his own child, will also be here to help you. Lexi is also here, and she's a certified medical official. Your child will be well-cared for."_

When she didn't answer, he continued on, gently urging her to relax. _"I am here for you."_ More silence followed, a sob breaking it. _"Would you like for me to call for Jaal?"_ Icy eyes focused on a sheet of paper on her desk as she turned her head before she numbly nodded her head, words entirely leaving her.  
  
The doors to her room hissed open moments later, the soft shuffling of his rofjinn and his footsteps echoing through the room as he crossed the distance to her desk. "Darling one, love of my life," his deep, rumbling voice was so soft and so gentle as he carefully approached her, his hands gently grasping her hips as she remained hunched over her desk, her soft, broken gasps and panicked sniffling filling the room. "What's the matter?"  
  
His hands gently guided her around to face him and she _broke_ \- Her body fell forward into his arms, her hands grabbing fistfuls of his rofjinn and her face burying itself in his chest, horrid sobs ripping from her as her chest heaved, her breathing harsh and heavy, unable to take in a deep breath.  
  
"Oh, darling one." His heart broke. "It's alright," he murmured gently, his voice a relaxing, deep rumble in his chest while his hands rubbed a soothing pattern on her back. He gently guided them away from her desk and towards her couch, the back of his knee hitting its cushions and he gently lowered them to it.

Her legs swung around his hips and he turned sideways, stretching his legs out as he leaned back against the couch, her arms desperately wrapping around his broad chest and squeezing him tightly, attempting to ground herself. "I'm here, my love. It's okay." His bioelectricity hummed behind her ears, a warmth radiating through her body. "Breathe, darling one. Breathe."  
  
Her sobs broke for a split second, her breathing harsh and uneven at his soothing words. _I don't know if I can do this. I can't do this._  "'m so scared," her voice was a whisper into his chest, her eyes wide as she stared at the pattern on his blue rofjinn, hyper-focused in an attempt to hold back the overwhelming urge to just _lose_ herself, pain threatening to overwhelm her.  
  
His big hand ghosted down the back of her curly hair, gently running through the coils and following the trail down her back, his bioelectricity tickling at her skin and leaving goosebumps in its wake. "Of what, my love?"  
  
"Of being a mom, Jaal." His breath hitched as she pushed against his shoulders to lean back and look up at him, the fear in her eyes sending a shiver up his spine. His heart ached in his chest for her, every fiber of his being sad at the fear and worry mingling in her icy eyes. "I - I can't." Her voice broke, her grip on his shoulders tightening, her lip trembling. "I can't, Jaal. I can't. I can't be a _mom_."  
  
"Why not?" Jaal asked so softly, his hand leaving her hair in favor of cradling her jaw, his thumb ghosting under her eye and wiping away the few tears that had escaped and started rolling down her cheek. Her eye squeezed shut at his touch, his bioelectric hum nearly numbing her face. "If I do remember, you are perfectly healthy, my love."  
  
"It's not that," her voice hurt, her throat aching and her nose flaring as she fought back another wave of tears. It hurt to think and it hurt to talk and it hurt to express how she feels and it just _hurt_. "It's not that I can't, I can. I'm so," her icy eyes darted around the room as her brain desperately searched for the right words, the back of her hand pressing against her mouth. "I'm so fucked up, Jaal." Her hand fell, landing on his chest.

"The idea of me having a kid and having them end up as messed up as I am? I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I can't - I can't do that to them. They deserve so much better than to be born to a mom that can't even take care of herself. I forget to _eat_ , Jaal. What if I forget to feed them? What if they fucking die because I'm a piece of shit?"  
  
As she spoke her words gradually broke, her shoulders hunching over as her chest heaved with uncontainable sobs, her face contorting in grief as she fought against her emotions, desperately trying to convey her emotions only for her to melt. His heart broke as he watched her break down, her body curling forward and her head hitting his chest again, broken, heart-wrenching sobs filling the room.

"Kylie," he started so softly as her hands balled into painful fists and hit his chest, a gross sob biting into the fabric of his rofjinn, "you are not 'fucked up'." His arms wrapped around her and pulled her flush against him, one hand resting on the back of her head and the other on the small of her back.  
  
"You are far beyond 'fucked up', darling one." His legs curled up and pressed her further against him, cocooning her and overwhelming her in his touch, his warmth, bringing her back to reality.

"You're the love of my life, the future mother of my children - If you would have them with me, that is, and the light of my entire life. I am so grateful - No, I am so incredibly lucky that you have come into my life," disbelief bit at his deep voice, his eyes wide in awe, "crossed galaxies even, just to be here and end up falling in love with me, of all people. I am... I truly am the luckiest guy in all of Andromeda, really."

"If there is anyone in this room that does not deserve anything, it's me." Her breath hitched, her heart overwhelmed with so many different emotions. "I don't deserve _you_ , Kylie. You make me feel... Amazing. You make me feel perfect the way I am, that I don't have to try too hard to impress you or make you think higher of me. I feel as though I can truly be myself around you, not what I make myself out to be to others."

His bioelectricity surged, softly dancing across her head and her back from his hands and filling her mind with the most numb, almost pins and needles kinda feeling. It made her feel exhausted, her icy eyes heavy.  
  
His voice danced with heavy emotion, her sobs gradually dying down as his voice rumbled deeply in his chest, the purr reverberating into hers. "You are the most wonderful, most passionate and most fierce woman I've ever met in my entire life. The confidence and the ability that you have is enough to sway thousands to join your cause, to follow you to hell and back. I know I would," he pressed a kiss to her head, the softest sigh leaving her as her eyes fell shut and her forehead pressed against his chest, her body tired.

"There are so many people that have fallen in love with you, with the confident, most assured way that you talk and hold yourself, the fire in your beautiful, stunning eyes and the compassion that you hold for others. You bring out the best in other people, my love. I feel weak whenever I see you care for people without a second thought. You are so caring, my love." Another kiss, further along her head, a shiver running up her spine.

"Any child born or given to you would feel privileged, truly, to be raised by you. You deserve the stars, Kylie. No - You deserve _everything_ , not just the stars. You deserve all of the planets and galaxies out there, everything that you have ever wanted. I wish you could see that." His head tilted to press a kiss above her ear. "I wish there was a way that I could replace your eyes with mine so that way you could see just how truly amazing you are."  
  
It took her a few moments before she finally really calmed down, her breathing shaky as she tilted her head up, pressing her chin in the dip on his chest and staring up at him with the saddest, softest, icy blue eyes. His bright blue eyes were nearly overwhelmed by black, the look on his face making her feel... Everything. _I love him so much. Oh, my God. I love him so much._  

"I love you," her trembling words were whispered against his chest, so soft he had to strain to hear her.  
  
His warm smile down at her made her feel so loved, so warm, _I don't deserve this, he's the most wonderful man in this entire world_ \- His heavily-lidded eyes danced with the utmost adoration for her, his hand cradling her jaw and ghosting his thumb across every bit of her cheek, swiping down her nose.

"I love you," his thick finger darted out to tap the tip of her nose, the smallest, happiest smile tugging at her lips, "more."


	21. i can't quit you

She'd been staring at the ceiling of her quarters for a long ass time now, her hand lazily stroking a soft, slow circle over Jaal's shoulder as he slept soundly beside her, his arm across her stomach and his legs wrapped with hers.

His soft snores alternated between loud and quiet bursts, the sound very nearly lulling her back to sleep.  _Everyone hates his snoring, but I love it._  A low grumble escaped him every so often, her eyes flickering over to look at him, her heart feeling full. _He talks in his sleep alot, too. Another thing I love about him._  

Jaal shifted as he choked down a snore, his eyes fluttering open for a moment before he groaned and pulled her closer, snaking his other arm under her and squeezing her tightly against him.

"Why are you awake, talshae?" His voice was heavy with sleep as her icy eyes flickered over to stare at him, tired and sad as he lazily stretched and pulled her closer. An eye peeked open to glance at the clock on her desk. "It's very late."  
  
"Couldn't sleep, I guess." Her soft voice cracked, her heart skipping a beat at the term of endearment before she softly cleared her throat and continued. "Just... Thinking about some stuff. My brain won't shut up, I guess."

A soft hum rumbled deeply in his chest, the motion sending a shiver up her spine as he pulled the arm out from under her to prop himself up on its elbow, his free hand reaching out to ghost across her jaw and over the black, silk scarf wrapped around her coiled hair. "Mmm, about what?"   
  
Her breath caught in her chest as she stared up at him, her emotions fighting against what she wanted to do. _What if he thinks I'm a piece of shit? I don't even know if the angara go through these kinda things._   She sighed softly. "Um," she hesitated, her confidence faltering as he leaned down and ever so softly kissed her cheek, his hand cradling her jaw.

His bioelectricity tickled her skin. "Take your time, talshae." Her heart skipped a beat, the love in his bright eyes making her feel weak. "I have all of the time in the world for you."  The smile he made down at her made her completely and utterly melt into the bed, warmth spreading through her and making her heart uselessly flutter in her chest.

A soft, sweet smile danced across her face and her eyes flickered down to her hands, her fingers twiddling over her stomach. "I was thinking about my life back on Omega," her voice managed after a moment, trickling with vulnerability. She shifted to sit up and started to pull her knees up to her chest. His big hand came out, stopping her knees in their tracks and instead shifting and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap and leaning his back against the bed's headboard.

Her body relaxed back against him with a soft sigh, her hands resting over his on her stomach as his arms loosely settled around her waist. "I mean, if we're going to be..." A shaky breath. "To be _parents_ together," her stomach flipped at the mere thought, willing herself to continue, "I figured you should know. I don't remember how much I've told you before, so I guess I'll just... Go from the beginning."  
  
She felt so vulnerable, so open, as she continued, her heart racing. "I left home after me and James turned eighteen." Her brows slowly furrowed, fighting against the sudden swell of emotions running through her chest, a bubble in her throat. "I had a boyfriend at the time, Vallien. I told you about him," he slowly nodded his head behind her, his chin lightly bumping the top of her head.

Kylie leaned back and looked up at him, "but I met him on the Citadel. I think I told you I met him on Omega, but I didn't. He convinced me to go to Omega with him." Her words hesitated as she looked back down and his chin rested atop her head, her fingers tapping his hand one at a time before she forced herself to continue. "Omega..."

"Omega is a lot like Kadara, you either work as a mercenary or you do dirty work. I didn't want to do either, so I applied for a job at the nightclub there called Afterlife. I got a job as a dancer." Her breath caught in her throat as her words left her, her heart skipping a beat as her mind raced.  _He's gonna hate me. I know he is. Fuck._  

"A dancer?" His hands turned and squeezed hers, her icy eyes painfully squeezing shut. "Um," she swallowed thickly, her voice trembling. "A stripper, basically."

Silence fell between them before he squeezed her hands again and kissed the top of her head, his bioelectricity coming in a sharp burst and her heart broke. _I don't deserve him._  She took in a steadying breath before she continued, her heart hammering in her throat. "This asari there... She was pretty much the queen of Omega, kinda like Sloane was on Kadara. Her name was Aria and she offered me a job as one of her guards, which I worked as part time. I guess I was her favorite because she took me everywhere and had me doing... Everything."

A trembling hand reached up to brush one of her baby hairs from her eyes, her eyes slowly lowering to their hands as a surge of emotions bubbled deeply in her chest at the memory.  "I... I don't really remember how it started, but I got caught up in... In drugs." Her eyes squeezed painfully shut at his soft gasp behind her, her lips pressing together for a moment to steady her self. She felt sick.

"Guess I helped acquire them, or some shit. I don't know, I barely even remember it, but it was... Bad." Her hand racked up the tally as she spoke, "red sand, creeper, minagen, you name it and I was probably taking it. I still have track marks from them." Her hand lamely fell back over his with a sigh. "That's why my implant is... Shitty. I fucked it up with drug use."  
  
"After that, Vallien ended up getting caught up in drugs, too. He was already an alcoholic, and after I kept getting promoted under Aria, we started fighting a lot because I was working all the goddamn time to pay for all of our goddamn bills, unlike his ass." Her hand squeezed his so tightly, her hand trembling. His big hand turned and engulfed hers, stilling her trembling. Her heart broke.

"I provided for us. All he would do is sit on his ass all day and complain. So," her angry voice faltered and she cleared her throat, one of his hands snaking free to wrap around her waist and hug her against him.  _I don't deserve him._ "I turned to alcohol too. I can't count how many times I'd wake up on the floor of our apartment's bathroom, covered in puke because he'd just leave me there after I'd combine the two. I... I didn't know how to properly deal with my emotions - Fuck," a sharp breath left her, "I - I still don't."   
  
Her voice broke as she lifted up her arms and twisted her tattooed forearms over, her wrists upturned. A shaky sigh left her and her lip quivered. "These tattoos?" One of her hands grabbed one of his big ones and lifted it, gently pressing his index finger over her wrist and slowly trailing it down her forearm. His breath caught as the pad of his fingers ghosted over her ragged scars, the texture bumping beneath them. "I got them to cover up all of my self-harm scars. I'd whack into myself every night when I couldn't deal anymore."  
  
"Darling one," his voice sounded so, so sad, his hand gently gripping her forearm, "I'm..." Her heart broke at how sad he sounded, his voice wavering. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to comfort you, to help you feel better."

A bubble burst in her throat as he lifted her forearm and pressed fluttering kisses down the length, stopping and gently lowering it to repeat the motion to her other forearm. "You deserved so much better than that." His arms wrapped around her shoulders and squeezed her against him, her eyes falling shut and her shoulders trembling as she fought against tears biting at her icy eyes, her throat feeling full.  _I don't deserve him._ "I know."  
  
"A solid year of this went on and I felt... I felt fucking stuck. I'd have panic attacks on the daily." It took everything in her to continue, her body fighting against her, her chin tilting down. His arms tightened around her, his chin nuzzling the nook of her trembling shoulder and she bit back a sob. "I was so fucking sick and tired of where I was, who I was and what I was doing." Disbelief hit her voice hard. "I hadn't talked to my family in over a year."

Her breath came out in a sharp hiss, her chest hurting and her voice breaking, her body curling over. "I remember that final day -" She choked out, a horribly shaking hand darting up to press against her mouth. Jaal's hand reached up and grasped hers, stilling its trembling and squeezing it.  _I don't deserve him. I don't deserve him._  
  
"James called me one morning, right after a really bad fight with Vallien. I was deadass high, could barely think." A shudder ran through her body, her shoulders shaking. "Said mom's illness only gave her a week left." Her head tilted to the side, looking at him with eyes so sad, it made him tremble. 

"A fucking week, Jaal. I went to work that day and everything went to hell. I felt like I'd died and gone to hell. A few hours into my shift, Vallien came up in the middle of the fucking club and started screaming at me. He was six foot four, huge ass guy. I'm only like... Five feet tall. I just..."

Her body curved forward and Jaal's body moved with hers, his arms wrapping around her waist as a bitter sob escaped her. "I - I lost it. We started full-on fist fighting each other and before I knew it, Liam stepped in with security. Everyone was watching."

She let out a shuddering breath, her words spilling over one another. "I was mortified, I was crying my eyes out, blood was everywhere and one of my eyes was bruised up as he pulled me away. Liam took me to his temporary apartment there and I..." Her voice fell flat, her hands trembling. She couldn't look at him.

Her heart ached. "I tried to kill myself that night. Liam... Liam found me."   
  
Silence fell between the two. She felt his bioelectricity falter and she very nearly lost it. Her breath trembled as she took in a harsh, deep breath, forcing her hand to move as her body fought against her.

A hand gently grasped his and shakily guided it up to her neck, over to where the vivid tattoo stood out from the side of her jaw wrapping under her neck. "This is the scar from when I tried to off myself, covered up by another tattoo. James got the same one in the same spot when I went home, said that he loved me and wanted to share my pain with me. I cried like a baby the entire time he got it. Like, six hours straight."  
  
Jaal's soft gasp made her tremble, his hand ghosting under her chin and gently tilting her head towards his. "Words cannot express how grateful I am that you're sharing this with me," his deep voice was so soft, his nose brushing against hers as she shifted and turned to face him, her legs straddling his wide body. "I know how hard it is for humans to express their emotions and to be... Vulnerable."

An air of disbelief hung through his words as her hands rested on his shoulders and his hands fell to her hips, her icy eyes warily searching his bright ones, fear caught in her chest. "You're allowing me to see you like this, open and scared, despite not allowing anyone else to see you like this. I am so, so... Grateful, humbled, even."

A sob bit through her and he pulled her against him, his arms wrapped tightly around her and cocooning her in his touch. "I'm so incredibly grateful for you, darling one." Her body shivered as she desperately tried to pull herself back together.

"You don't..." She couldn't find the right words as she held back another sob, her lip quivering as she pulled away from him, desperately rubbing at her eyes and blinking away her bitter tears. Her body trembled under his intense gaze, fear etching its way up her spine. His bright eyes danced with so much adoration and love for her it made her voice falter and her heart just  _hurt_. "You don't..." A pause, her breath shaky, "think shit of me for doing drugs?"  
  
"Why would I?" His brows furrowed in confusion, worry deep in his eyes. A shiver ran up her spine and she softly smiled, her eyes flickering down to his collarbone, unable to look him in the eye. "It wasn't your fault, darling one." His big hands gently grasped her jaw and guided her head up to look at him.

"You got caught up in it not by your doing but by your boss's doing." The emotion dancing in his eyes made her want to cry like a baby, his pupils so blown she couldn't see his usual beautiful blue eyes. "I love you," his fingers gently tapped her nose and she gasped in surprise, the noise so soft.

"No matter what. What happened, happened. That is in the past and now, you are a new person." His forehead pressed against hers. "Who you were in the past shaped you to be the amazing person that you are now, my love. Things happen for a reason, no matter how horrible or how good they are. They made you who you are today, the person that I am completely in love with."

Tears overflowed in her eyes and slowly fell down her cheeks as her hands reached up and laid over his, his lip trembling. "I am in complete and utter love with you, the person that you've always been and the person that you are now. Nothing in the entire galaxy could change how I feel about you."   
  
"I don't deserve you," her voice wavered through the tears, her eyes falling shut.

"Yes, you do." His voice was so deep and airy, a shiver running up her spine. "You have no idea how much I love you, darling one." Her eyes slowly opened, biting her bottom lip to stop its trembling. His hands slowly slid down her jaw, her neck, gently resting on her shoulders.

"As you already know, angara have bioelectricity that we use to communicate with each other." A soft breath left him as his hands gently grasped and laced his fingers with hers. "I know that your kind does not have it, but..." She hesitated as he paused, his lip quivering. "I need you to feel how you make me feel."  
  
Her icy eyes slowly searched his, her heart skipping a beat. Her dark brows slowly furrowed in confusion, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. "What... What do you mean?"

The sweetest smile crawled across his face and her heart nearly stopped. "Around you, I've been controlling how much of my bioelectricity comes out because I know too much could hurt your kind." His voice faltered, his eyes darting down to glance at her lips before his eyes met her gaze once more, the intensity behind them making her feel numb.

"When we are around the ones that we love, we get a unique bioelectric signature." His hands squeezed hers and she could feel the gradual hum of his bioelectricity tickling at her skin. "Each one is unique and, depending on how intense the love for their partner is, it can get... Crazy, I suppose."

She smiled so hard her face felt like it was going to break. "I've been holding mine back. It starts whenever I see you or think of you. It drives me insane, sometimes." His soft chuckle made her giggle, her head softly shaking as he leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers.  
  
"Feel this," his bright eyes slowly fell shut and her eyes hesitantly followed suit, the electric hum in her hands growing stronger and stronger by the second until her arms fell numb. Pins and needles itched their way up her body, his bioelectricity coming in intense, uneven, and sporadic spurts as his breath faltered and she felt herself nearly break, her whole body trembling, a surge of emotion hitting her  _hard_. "The love I feel for you is... Unreal."

* * *

  
Her arms wrapped her rofjinn tighter around her shoulders as she stood in front of the doors to the research lab, taking in a deep, steadying breath as her heart furiously raced in her chest. Why is she so nervous to meet with the other Pathfinders? _I feel like I don't deserve to be there with them._  "Okay," she mumbled to herself, tapping the sequencer into her omnitool. The doors hissed open and she took a cautious step inside before she squared her shoulders and straightened her back, her steps growing more confident with each one.  
  
"Ryder," Hayjer started from his spot behind Dr. Aridana, his hands grasping the back of her desk's chair. "Good to see you." He motioned for her to come over and she crossed the distance, her rofjinn swaying with each steps. "We've been working with Dr. Aridana and her team on the problem of getting to Meridian, since the Nexus is so determined to not help us."  
  
"We think we may have the answer." The salarian took a step back from her chair as the asari spoke and Kylie slightly leaned over her desk, her eyes taking in the sight of her computer screen overrun with data. "Hit me with it." Kylie said after a moment, her hands folding in front of her. "It's plans for a new technology we've designated Ghost Storm."  
   
Hayjer hummed as she spoke, nodding his head as his fingers ghosted over his chin in thought. "As you approach Meridian, our own ships can broadcast fake returns for the Tempest." Vederia fervently nodded her head from her spot beside the salarian, a disbelieving chuckle behind her words. "The kett won't know which one is real." She smiled warily, her hands folding behind her back. "It will confuse their sensors and draw their ships off."   
  
"It could buy you some time," the doctor added in from her chair as Kylie pushed away from the desk, slowly nodding her head as her mind raced with thoughts.  _Could definitely work with a little bit of time. Maybe. I hope. Hope they can't tell I'm bullshitting everything._  "That's all I need." She took in a deep breath, looking back over at the other Pathfinders, a nervous laugh dancing through her words. "If things go to shit, we'll improvise. This is already enough of a shitshow, you know?" Her icy eyes shot them a cocky, confident look while a slow grin tugged at her lips and she shrugged. "Can't get much worse than this."  
  
Vederia nervously laughed, fervently nodding her head while Hayjer rolled his eyes. Macen snorted from his spot nearby, folding his arms over his chest. "But, you guys know," Kylie let out a deep breath, her heart skipping a beat at the mere thought, "this means we're going against the Initiative if we move. We're on our own out there. Can't fuck it up or they'll play the 'I told you so' game." Her icy eyes shot over to the doctor watching them from the corner of her eyes, her own eyes narrowing suspiciously. She pursed her lips, crossing her arms. "You never heard that, got it?"  
  
The doctor grinned, turning her attention back to her computer as she switched tabs, the data disappearing from the screen as she pulled up data charts. "Hear what?" The salarian scientist nearby huffed, picking up a datapad and looking incredibly immersed in it. "We've been busy collating gamma charts all day." The grin that Kylie gave the asari very nearly broke her face, her cheeks hurting.  _I love these guys. So much._  
  
"We have Kesh and Kandros," Macen added in as they took a few steps away from the scientists, holding his hand out. The music from Vortex below them pounded against the floor, a feeling all too akin to Tartarus dancing through her legs and making her feel nauseous.  _You're good, Kylie. Breathe._ "Not to mention the others on this station that despise Tann."

She slowly nodded her head, a slow grin crawling across her face at the turian. "Oh. Yeah, you're right. Shit," she bumped his shoulder with hers, waggling her brows, "maybe this might just work."   
  
Hayjer hummed as he made his way over to another desk, his hands coming out to rest over the top as his eyes darted over its surface at the scattered papers and datapads. "I've come to realize that Pathfinders are often alone. Part of the job, I suppose."  
  
"Oh, sure," a breathless chuckle escaped Kylie as she shook her head, leaning back against the desk and folding her arms over her chest, softly huffing. "Except we aren't being paid for this super shitty job that everyone wants to fight us about."

Hayjer groaned loudly from his spot while Vederia snorted out a laugh, Macen rolling his eyes and leaning against the desk beside the girl.

"Wouldn't trade my coworkers for the world, though." She hastily added, shooting them a happy little look. "I love you guys. Glad I'm not alone anymore."  
  
"Same here," Macen's mandibles happily shifted, the biggest smile on his face. "Honestly, you guys make this job tolerable. If you guys weren't here, I don't know what I'd be doing right now."

Kylie waggled her dark brows at him, wagging her finger in his face and tapping his foot with hers. "If Avitus and I weren't there on the turian ark to literally save your ass, you _definitely_ wouldn't have been here."  
  
He scoffed and rolled his eyes as Hayjer grasped a bottle of wine from the corner of the desk, pulling it away and cradling it in his arms as he turned around to face them. "So, let's have a toast, then." He grinned as Kylie very nearly beamed from her spot, him getting to work on opening it. "To good colleagues."   
  
"And our hella amazing teams."

* * *

  
Vortex was all too eerily quiet as the doors hissed open, her arm wound through Jaal's as they took a few hesitant steps into the seemingly empty club. "Is nobody here?" She quirked a wary brow up at how dark the usually vibrant place was, shooting Jaal a very, very confused look. Her hand brushed a coil of hair behind her ear, pursing her lips.

"I thought you said that Hayjer told you there was supposed to be a party for the Pathfinders tonight? Did I get all dolled up for nothing?" A long sigh left her, shifting her weight onto her other foot as she rolled her eyes. "You know I hate doing that, big guy."  
  
"Oh, he did. There is a party tonight, my love." A smirk slowly tugged at his lips as her brows furrowed in confusion. "A party for  _you_."

The lights suddenly flickered on at his words, a plethora of her favorite people jumping up from behind their various covers scattered through the club, their arms outstretched. "Happy birthday!" Their words collided and echoed through the room as the vibrant lights kicked on, violently dancing around the place as music started to boom through the speakers.   
  
A small, shaky hand darted up and covered her mouth in surprise, her jaw agape in utter shock as tears pricked the corner of her eyes, her heart faltering in her chest. "It's - It's my birthday? For real?" She looked over at Jaal as her voice trembled in disbelief, the biggest, happiest grin on his face.

"It's  _our_  birthday, Kay!" James quipped as he darted up to them and yanked the girl away from the angara, pulling her into a soul-crushing hug. She trembled in his arms, swallowing down a sudden sob. "Keep yourself together, okay? You don't wanna ruin your makeup."

He pulled away, his thumb gently patting the corner of her eyes as tears pooled there, careful not to smudge her makeup. "Know you spent hours on it." She furiously blinked them away, Jaal's hands fanning at her face as she tried to pull herself back together.  
  
"The big twenty-two, eh?" Drack beamed as his hand clasped her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her to pull her into a hug. "My girl's growin' up. Can't believe it." She couldn't control her unbelievably happy laugh into his shoulder, her arms squeezing him tight as another sob itched at her throat from his words, just as she'd started to calm down. "Just yesterday I was teachin' you how to headbutt and now you're out here pickin' your own bar fights. Damn, I'm proud of my little pyjack."  
  
"Dad," a shaky chuckled escaped her, "you're literally gonna make me bawl. Stop it," her voice faltered as she pulled away and his big hands hesitated on her waist. She carefully wiped under her eyes, taking in a deep, shaky breath. He looked so happy as he stared down at her, slowly nodding his head as he swallowed thickly, trying to keep himself together.

"Yeah, same here." His words made her snort, the two melting into laughter while an uncontrollable smile danced on her face. It felt like her face was gonna crack from how happy she feels right now.  _This is my family. They're my family._  
  
Jaal's hands met her waist as he gently pulled her away from the krogan, waggling his brows at Drack as she turned to face him. "I'm going to steal my girlfriend for a little while, if you don't mind." He grinned as Drack grumbled under his breath, pulling her in for a quick kiss that she was totally ready to melt into before he pulled away and gently guided her over to the bar.

"Liam was telling me about the various drinks that's popular with your kind." She smiled up at him and he sighed happily, running his hand through her curly hair, his bioelectricity catching on a few strands. That only made her smile _more_. "He also told me all of your favorite drinks. So, excuse me for a moment." He winked at her as he took off to the bartender.

Her eyes caught the sight of Macen and Avitus leaning against each other against the bartop and she cheekily grinned as they leaned in, her arms folding over her chest as she approached them. "Oh, look who's here!"   
  
Avitus quickly pulled away from Macen, his mandibles shifting ever-so-slightly from embarrassment as he cleared his throat, opting to take a sip of his dextro drink.

"Looky here," Macen grinned down at the girl, clapping her back. "The birthday girl herself."

She rolled her eyes at him, swatting his hand away. "Glad to see you two happy. You deserve nothin' but that, really." 

A soft sigh escaped him. His eyes lowered to the ground and he swallowed thickly, nodding his head. "True that. Been through hell with this guy," his arm wrapped around Avitus' waist, his talons gently tapping against the plate there. "Glad we both made it in one piece."   
  
"I'd toast to that, but I don't have a drink yet." Macen scoffed.

"You guys better enjoy yourselves, you hear? I don't wanna hear anything about work tonight." She winked at them. "Make it a date night, okay?" An airy giggle left her, tilting her head at them as Jaal came back, two fruity drinks in his hands.

"Oh, trust me." Avitus winked back at her, his free arm wrapping around Macen's waist and pulling him up against his body. She resisted the urge to scream, the happiest feeling bubbling in her chest at the two of them looking so happy. "It's already been a date night before you showed up."  
  
"Ooh!" Her brows quirked up and she bit back a cheeky smirk, turning her attention to Jaal as his elbow gently bopped her side. _Those little shits._ She kissed his cheek as she took one of the drinks from him and they gently clanged their glasses together. "Um," she hesitated as the lip of her glass touched her lips, quirking a brow up at him. "Does this...?"

He shook his head. "No, it doesn't. I made sure, I got the..." His brows furrowed, clearing his throat. "The... Virgin version."

She chuckled as he triumphantly nodded his head as he found the right word, shaking her head and taking a sip. "You're so cute."  
  
"Only for you," his deep voice purred, his hand meeting her free one and gently helping her sit on one of the bar stools. She rolled her eyes, a hand suddenly grasping her shoulder and spinning her chair around.

The motion made a sudden wave of nausea hit her, her eyes rolling. "Hey, Lala." Liam beamed down at her as he skidded her chair to a stop and she cheekily grinned, the vision of him swimming. "Hey, Lola. Having fun?"  
  
"Oh, you've no idea." He laughed, idly wiping at a smudge of lipstick on his cheek. "James stole some of your lipstick because he wanted to 'mark' me." Liam turned his head, showing her the deep red mark of a kiss on his stubbly cheek. "Love it, but a pain in the ass to remove."

She laughed, curling over in her chair. "You just need some oil, Lola. Honestly."

He rolled his chocolate eyes, reaching for her hands as she sat her glass down on the counter. "Anyways, you doing good? I know bars are kinda a sore spot for you after... Well, you know."

She took in a deep breath as Jaal's hand gently landed on her shoulder and she forced herself to smile. "I'm chill for now. Who all is here?"  
  
"A lot of people. Like, a ton. Let's see," he hummed, twisting her chair to face the crowd of faces scattered throughout Vortex. "Umi actually came." Her jaw dropped open in shock and he laughed. "I know! Kesh, Kandros," his finger pointed to each of them as he spoke, "Reyes is here, somewhere. Probably stealing liquor, again." She bit back a laugh, shaking her head and rolling her icy eyes.

"A few krogan from Drack's clan, Morda even fuckin' came, believe it or not. Evfra is here. Somewhere. Paraan and the Moshae, too. Like, everyone came." Her heart fumbled in her chest, a strange feeling overwhelming her as he spoke. He turned back to look at her, the smile on his face pushing her over the deep end. "Everyone loves you, Lala. We're celebrating _you_ tonight."

Her soft, happy smile hurt Liam's heart, pulling her into a hug as she swallowed thickly, biting back tears. _I feel... Loved. This is what it's like to feel loved._ "And, y'know, James. But especially you."  
  
Jaal's arms wrapped around her from behind, the two all but squishing her into a tight hug. A Kylie sandwich. Happy, muffled giggles echoed between them and they grinned, squeezing her even tighter as they grew louder, the girl gasping between them. "Y'all are gonna kill me!" She managed between laughs, prying them away from her as she took in a deep breath. "God."  
  
"Darling one," his hand met hers and laced his fingers with hers, the softest look dancing in his eyes as she looked up at him. Her breath caught in her chest, his head ever-so-slightly tilting down, the sweetest look on his face. "Do you..." He hesitated, taking in a shaky breath, clearing his throat. "Do you want to tell everyone?"

Her body froze for a second, her icy eyes darting down to stare at the floor. Her eyes fell shut and she took in a deep, steadying breath, forcing herself to keep calm as she slowly stood, nodding her head. "Yeah, I guess."  
  
Jaal led her over to the little makeshift stage they'd put up a few weeks ago, one hand laced with hers and the other gently ushering against her low back as they made their way up the steps to the stage. His hand gripped the microphone on the center of the stage, clearing his throat as he smiled down at her. The room fell silent. "Tonight, we're here to celebrate the love of my life, our amazing, wonderful Pathfinder."

Scattered cheers erupted through the room. "Hey!" James called out beside Liam through cupped hands, "don't forget her fuckin' twin brother!"   
  
"And our brother." He rolled his eyes as he added hastily, shooting Kylie the cutest little glare before he turned to face her, her heart skipping a beat. His bioelectricity faltered. _He's nervous, too?_ "There is... Also something else we want to tell you." Anxiety ran through her legs, pins and needles shooting through her as her hands started to tremble, her eyes looking out at the sea of people.

Her heart nearly stopped as he brought the microphone between them, leaning in closer to her. Silence fell through the room as she felt her mouth fight against her brain. "We're..." Kylie hesitated and Jaal's hand squeezed hers, a sudden burst of confidence rushing through her veins. "We're... We're expecting."   
  
Scattered screams and cheers burst through the entire room, the noise very nearly overwhelming her senses as Jaal pulled her into a hug. Drack stood up and slammed his hands on the table, the noise startling Lexi beside him before his fists happily pumped in the air.

James was literally screaming, Liam's hand clapping over his mouth to muffle the noise as he jumped up, yanking his boyfriend along with him as he ran to the stage. "You're shitting me!" He screeched as he threw himself into Kylie's arms, nearly knocking the girl down. Jaal's arms darted out to steady her as he hugged her so tightly, her eyes squeezing shut. "I'm your fuckin' twin and you didn't tell me first?!"  
  
"I didn't even know that was possible." Evfra looked entirely amused, a brow quirked up and his arms folded over his chest as Paraan rolled her eyes, shoving his shoulders. He grumbled under his breath as he stumbled, slowly regaining his balance.

"Be happy for them, Evfra. I believe this will be the first human-angaran child, you know." He sighed deeply, watching as people flooded the girl to hug her, the girl unsure who to hug first. "History in the making, I suppose."  
  
"Who's gonna babysit the little shit while you're busy?" Peebee quipped from behind Kylie, her arms around her waist and squeezing her tightly, rocking her back and forth.

"Oh, Drack." The answer came so effortlessly from Kylie and the asari's jaw dropped. Jaal happily nodded his head in agreement, Peebee's brows slowly furrowing in utter confusion. "You're kidding, right? He's a _krogan_. They're _not_ exactly gentle."  
  
"Hey!" Drack snapped his fingers as he stomped his way up the steps, pushing people out of the way for his turn to hug the girl. "I'll guard that little pyjack with my entire life, kid." He pointed his finger at Peebee, pursing his lips irritably. "Krogan's honor. We don't take that shit lightly."

Kylie grinned while he pulled her into a tight hug, her arms wrapping around his neck and squeezing him tight. "Peanut Butter, that kid will be the safest kid in the entire galaxy, trust me."  
  
Kesh pushed her way through the krogan and yanked the girl into a bone-shattering hug, unable to control how happy she felt. Excitement bubbled through Kylie, the biggest smile on her face. _I love these people so much._  "You're kidding me, Ryder!" The krogan grinned as she pulled away, her eyes lit up as her hands hesitated on her small shoulders. "You're gonna be a mother, huh? You'll make a damn good one. Especially if my old man is watching out for the kid, too."   
  
"Oh, you're the god mom, you know."  
  
"What?!" Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor, her hands tightly grasping the girl's shoulders. Kylie cheekily grinned. "Seriously?" The girl fervently nodded her head, the happiest smile on her face as Kesh melted into a puddle of utter joy.

"Yep! You're the godmom. Can't imagine a better one, honestly. Drack and Lexi are the grandparents."  
  
Kesh's body froze as her brows furrowed, shooting her a very confused look before she looked over at Drack. He jumped and flushed deeply, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck, sheepishly and pointedly looking away from the two. "Lexi and Drack?" She looked back at Kylie and the girl froze. _Oh. Whoops. Must not've told his kid about them._ "What?"  
  
"I'll... I'll let you two work that out." The raven nervously laughed, untangling herself from the krogan's grip and sneaking away from the group. She made her way down from the stage and back to her spot by the bar, reaching for her drink before a tanned hand darted out and grabbed it, pulling it away from her.

"You know," his rich voice purred as he held it just out of her reach. She cursed under her breath, desperately jumping and grabbing for it while he grinned, "pregnant women shouldn't be drinking."  
  
"Says you!" She stuck her tongue out at him and he scoffed. "It doesn't have any alcohol, Mr. Smooth." Reyes hummed in understanding, simply nodding his head and lowering it down. She greedily snatched it away from him and took a few sips. "Good."

A moment of silence fell between the two. It wasn't an awkward silence, more of a companionable silence, really, as they watched the people around them laugh and talk, the happiest looks on their faces. She looked up at him and when he met her gaze, she smiled, the embodiment of joy on her face for the first time in a long time.

He happily sighed, an ache in his chest at how happy she looked. _She deserves this._  "So, you and Jaal are expecting, huh?" A soft smile danced across his face as she lit up, her fingers twiddling against the glass in her lap.  
  
"Yeah," Kylie sighed oh so softly, so happily, thumbing at the lip of the glass before her eyes met his whiskey gaze. "Yeah, I know. Couldn't believe it either." She sighed, pursing her lips as she looked for Jaal through the crowd. He caught her gaze and happily waved at her, the loveliest feeling rushing through her veins. "Definitely wasn't expecting to discover myself that angara and humans can reproduce together." His soft, carefree laugh made her smile even more, her shoulders relaxing. "They'll probably be twins, you know. Runs in my family."   
  
"A handful!" He smirked and shook his head, leaning against the bartop. "You know that I'll watch out for them, right? If anyone even attempts to harm you or your children," his eyes danced with an unreadable emotion, her breath catching, "I'll kill them myself."  
  
"Aw," a breathless giggle left her, softly punching his shoulder and jostling him out of his angry glare, "you're so sweet. That means the world to me, y'know? I..." Her fingers tightened on the glass before she sat it back on the counter before she'd end up breaking it, her hands folding in her lap. "Everything's happening so fast for me. It feels like just yesterday that I came back from Omega, feeling like everyone hates me, like we just woke up from cryo and realized everything was going to hell. Now, it kinda feels like..."

She took in a deep breath, her eyes searching the sea of people, her heart feeling heavy. "Like everything's gonna work itself out. I feel... Loved." Her head turned back to him and her eyes searched his. "I feel... Happy. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I can relax now." A soft sigh left her, her voice trembling. "I... I don't know how to do that."  
  
His warm smile made her relax even more, a bubble bursting in her throat she hadn't realized formed in there. His eyes softened as a tanned hand gently grasped and laced his fingers with hers, his other hand brushing a strand of coiled hair from her face. "It's simple, Kylie." Her eyes met his and she smiled at the softest, sweetest look dancing in his golden eyes, his heart aching in his chest.

"You spend your time with the people you love. Our little family of misfits, if I do recall." Her breath caught in her chest as he airily laughed, her eyes darting down to stare at the floor as she fought back a sudden surge of emotions. "Everything's gonna be okay, hermana."


	22. low life

Silence hung in the quiet air of her cabin, the only sound the soft squeaking of her hamster in the background as she stood in front of the wide window, a hand resting on her stomach. "Sam," she softly started after a second, a shaky breath leaving her and her icy eyes flickering over the looming galaxy containing Khi Tisera. Dread pooled in her stomach at the thought, worry hitting her hard. _This is really happening. I'm fucking scared, shit._  "I have a question to ask you, I guess."  
  
_"Yes, Kylie?"_ Her body stiffened for the briefest second as she realized that for once in her life, she has to start thinking about what she's doing. She has to think about the consequences behind everything than if she were to just charge into things without a second thought like she usually would. "If I..."

A pause, disbelief hitting her hard. "If I were to die..." Her voice didn't feel real, a brief flicker of panic blossoming in her throat before she cleared it and shook her head. "No, wait." She irritably sighed, rubbing a hand across her face. "Did..." Her eyes glared down at the floor, a harsh sigh leaving her. _Get it over with._  "Did Alec always have it set for me to become Pathfinder, or was it just a spur of the moment thing?"  
  
_"He had always intended for you to inherit the role if he were to die."_ A pang of guilt shot up her spine and her brows furrowed, her head nearly spinning at his words. _Fuck. Why? I wasn't fucking trained. Shit, shit, shit._  "Is..." A sharp exhale, her breath caught in her chest as her mind desperately switched back and forth between thoughts. "If I were to die..." Her words hung in the air. "Is... Is there a way to change who gets Pathfinder authority?"  
  
_"Yes, there is."_  Her breath left her in a soft, swift rush. _"Currently, in the event of your death, it's set to transfer to Cora. Do you wish to change that?"_ She slowly nodded her head, her voice trembling as her other hand joined the one resting on her stomach. "Can you..." Her eyes squeezed shut, her hands balling into fists before they relaxed. "Can you change it to James?"  
  
_"Yes, Kylie."  
_

* * *

  
Gil's fingers worked diligently on her jetpack's wiring, her fingers trembling as she worked on the clasps on her armor. Her heart hammered in her chest, her eyes unfocused and glaring down at her boots before the haze of a deep, familiar voice broke her from her trance. She looked up in surprise, her eyes wide at the sight of Jaal staring down at her with worry in his bright eyes, his hand gently coming up to gently grasp her chin. "Are you good, darling one?" His voice sounded so worried as he examined her face. "You look sick."  
  
"Uh," Kylie cleared her throat, fervently shaking her head as the last clasp of her armor fell into place, his hand falling from her chin. Gil patted her back and she moved up ahead, allowing Liam to take her place to get his jetpack tuned. "Just morning sickness or something." Her face scrunched up in thought as she grabbed her favorite shotgun, her lips pursing. "I don't know." Worry bit at his features and she forced a smile up at him, reaching out and squeezing his arm. "I'm good, big guy. Really."  
  
"I dunno how I'd feel knowing that I'm pregnant and heading out where I could very possibly die," Liam added from his spot behind her and she shot him a menacing glare, Jaal's hand squeezing the one over his arm. "You're so helpful, Lola." His dark brows furrowed and he let out a soft sigh, shaking his head. "I wasn't kidding. I'm worried about you going out there, Lala."  
  
"I am, too." Drack's deep voice only made her feel even more nervous about what they were doing, her mind flickering to the thought of her stomach and she wanted to disappear. _Fuck. Goddamn. I hate this._ His hand popped ammo into his gun, a deep sigh leaving him. "I'm gettin' tired of worryin' about your goddamn ass all the time, kid."  
  
"I - I know." Kylie took in an unsteady breath, staring down at her feet. "Me too."  
  
_"Ryder,"_ Hayjer's voice through their comms made her body tense. _"Initiating Ghost Storm, on my mark."_ The moment of truth. She looked up and caught Liam's gaze, _"three, two..."_ Her breath caught in her chest as their comms faded out, silence falling through the room. _"Go!"_  
  
The silence was drawn out, their eyes flickering from one to the other. _"Hayjer, it's working!"_ Suvi's voice filtered in and Kylie let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. Liam grinned, shaking his head. _"Reading a bunch of kett heading our way,"_ Hayjer's voice flickered in and her eyes met Jaal's, the most confident smile on his face making her relax. _"Pulling back now. It's all on you, Tempest."_ She nodded her head. "We've got it, Hayjer."  
  
_"Ryder,"_ Kallo's voice quipped in right after Hayjer's faded out and her dark brows slowly furrowed, her eyes glancing over and catching Drack's gaze. _"Looks like a flyby is our only option."_ The krogan's face lit up while her stomach flipped. _Fuck_. _"I'll get as low as possible, but you'll have to eject over the target area."_  
  
She quietly scoffed, ignoring the sudden flare of panic in the back of her mind as her stomach twisted, suddenly well aware of the fact that she wasn't only responsible for her own life, now. "I'm _great_ at falling, Kallo." Drack indignantly laughed while her hands tightened on her gun before she carefully holstered it. "Another hidden talent of mine, y'know."  
  
"Oh, yeah." Liam snorted as he walked up beside her and Jaal took his place, bopping her shoulder with his fist. "You're a repeat offender, there." Her eyebrows quirked up in surprise. "Fallen out of the sky one too many times." He cheekily grinned, all toothy and cute. "Y'know, you're probably considered an angel to some people, Lala." His elbow bopped Jaal's side and the two lazily smirked at her, the angara nearly purring. "Oh, yes."  
  
"Shut." Her head tilted at him. "It." A little sneer. "Lola."  
  
"Alright," Gil's hands darted between the two of them as Jaal's jetpack was tuned, shooting them both a wary look while Liam looked way too amused. "Listen up, got it? You know the drill, watch your rate of descent, yadda yadda and all that jazz." He grabbed their shoulders, glancing over at the angaran. "Shields should take care of the rest."  
  
"They better," Jaal grumbled low beside the girl, his hand meeting her lower back as they began to head towards the ramp. _"So far, so good."_ Suvi's voice flickered in, a strange air of confidence in her voice. _"The kett haven't detected us yet."_ Kallo's voice cut in. _"Once you guys hit the ground, we'll be clear as day to them."_  
  
"Fuck." She hesitated, her icy eyes glancing down at the ground. Her brows furrowed. "Okay." A quick breath, nodding her head. Them first. "Don't worry about us, okay? As soon as our asses jump from the ship, hot-tail it outta there. We'll be fine -"  
  
"Hey!" Their steps skipped to an abrupt halt at the angry voice behind them, the girl glancing over her shoulder to find her brother briskly approaching them. James' hands balled into fists at his sides, the look of hurt dancing in his icy eyes. "Why aren't you taking me, Kay?!" His hands gestured to her stomach as he spoke. "You're - You're fucking _pregnant_ ," they darted up to grab at his locked hair, his eyes wide. " _Y_ _ou_ should be staying back!"  
  
"Jay!" Kylie shot him a scolding look, her brows furrowing irritably, "I can't just - I'm the fucking Pathfinder, Jay. Not to mention it's dangerous. I've been doing this longer than you have, okay?" She took a step towards him, her hand reaching out and grabbing his. He squeezed hers tightly, swallowing thickly. "I -" Her eyes darted to the floor, a strange feeling of vulnerability hitting her hard. "I can't lose you. We can't lose all of the Ryders if something were to happen."  
  
"Kay..." His voice trailed off. "Kylie." She looked up at him at how serious he sounded and he sadly smiled, pulling her into a hug. "If you go off and get hurt, I'll fucking kill you, okay?" She laughed into his shoulder, hugging him tightly. "You better, you little fucker." He breathlessly laughed as she slowly pulled back from him, her hands meeting his shoulders. Their icy gazes met and she nodded her head, swallowing thickly as she squeezed his shoulders. "I love you."  
  
"I know." Fuck, she was gonna cry. _Good thoughts, Kylie. Good thoughts._  "I love you, too."  
  
"Dearest," the deep voice behind them broke them apart, her hands falling from his shoulders as she fought back a wave of tears. She turned back around and Jaal's hands met her waist, shooting her brother a soft, sweet look while she wiped at her eyes. "We need to go." Her hands laid over his and she sighed, nodding meekly.

* * *

  
Her heart furiously raced in her chest as the cargo hold's ramp descended, the rapidly approaching drop zone making her feel entirely too nauseous. A breath caught in her throat, her stomach twisting - _"Go!"_ Kallo's voice shot her body into action. Without a second thought, she ran forward and threw herself off the edge of the ramp, her mind numbly focusing ahead in an attempt to ignore the sharp drop down below them.  
  
"Holy fuck!" Liam's voice wavered beside her, a nervous laugh slowly escaping him as the air violently whipped around them. A booming laugh from her other side caught her attention, the girl glancing over to find Jaal with the happiest grin on his face. Drack was beside him, breathless laughs escaping him while he tried to pump his fists in the air to no avail. _These guys are fucking crazy. I love them._ Their jetpacks kicked into action, the gravity slowing as they neared the ground and she threw herself forward in a roll, breaking her fall. "Everyone good?" She glanced behind her, taking in a deep breath as her hands rested over her stomach.  
  
"I'll let you know when my gut stops churning," Liam quipped from his spot behind her, his body bent over his knees and his hands on them, panting heavily. The angara beside him nodded his head, running a hand across the top as he steadied himself, glancing around. "We need to survey the area," he started, glancing over at Drack as the old man carefully made his way up with a grunt and a crack. "Yeah," Kylie hummed in agreement, taking a few lingering steps around, "figure out what we're dealing with."  
  
_"Kylie,"_ her body froze as the AI started up, fear that they'd already been discovered hitting her hard. _"I am detecting active conduits nearby. Your scanner should be able to pick them up."_ She grinned as relief flooded her, flicking her scanner on and starting to look around. "Sweet. Thanks, Sassmaster."  
  
Liam scoffed, kicking over a container once he pulled himself back together. "Why do you call him Sassmaster? Last I remember, you hated him." The girl shot him the most dramatic look of hurt, her hand pressing over her heart and her jaw falling open. "When did I ever hate _my_ Sassmaster? His sense of humor and impeccable timing are my favorite things about him!"  
  
_"Thank you, Kylie. I quite enjoy spending time with you, too."_ A pause, her mouth opening to speak before he started again.  _"My joke database is taken from your knowledge of jokes, so I am not surprised that you enjoy them."_  She held her hand up while Liam snorted loudly, the biggest grin on her face as she grinned, nodding her head. "See? My own personal Sassmaster." A drop of water splashed down the front of her face, her eyes blinking incredulously as she looked up.  
  
Rain started to pelt down hard, a frustrated groan leaving her. "You're kidding me!" Her free hand darted up to rub away the water on her face then she held it above her head in a vain attempt to shield her face, her brows furrowed. "Rain?! Now, of all times?!" She trudged around as the rain weighed them down, frustrated sighs and groans leaving the little group as they searched the area. Her foot hit something hard and she turned around, coming face to face with a console. "Sweet, found it, guys!"  
  
Her hand pressed over the controls as Sam got to work, a bridge slowly forming to life as it activated. _"Kylie, while interacting with that console, I detected the presence of a complex network, connected via a central command hub."_ Her brows furrowed as she looked over at Jaal, his brows furrowing as well. "A hub?" Her icy eyes widened as they started down the bridge, catching Liam's shocked look. "Like, you mean we found Meridian's controls?"  
  
_"Most likely."_ Drack slapped his knee, shaking his head as an airy laugh left him. "Skin me and call me a Vorcha. Holy fuck, that was easy." Kylie shot him an amused little grin before Sam chirped back up, her grin faltering. _"However, the hub is dark. Deactivated."_  
  
"Well, shit." Deft fingers worked at her omnitool before the doors in front of them hissed open, a loud sigh leaving her. "Let's go see what Meridian's all about. See if we can find that," she ghosted air quotes back at them, "'central hub' Sam mentioned."  
  
They gradually made their way down the room, kicking open various containers and idly scanning as much as they possibly could before they made it to the end where a rather large console sat, a strange blue glow emanating from it. Her eyes glanced out the window, catching the sight of a large structure nestled in between two more.  _"Kylie, we are looking at the central command hub I detected earlier."_ Her face lit up. "For real? Sweet!"  
  
She ghosted her hand across the console, slowly walking by it to one of the windows dotted around the symmetrical building, her fingers tingling. _"As with the monoliths and vaults, the hub is connected to the two neighboring towers."_ The window danced with an orange pattern etching its way up the glass every few seconds, a soft breath leaving her as she took in the vast expanse of Khi Tisera.  
  
"So we just gotta activate those towers, right?" Drack added in from his spot nearby the console, his big hand tracing a pattern over its radiating side. "Sounds pretty easy to me." She nodded her head, her hand reaching out and catching Drack's as he approached her. "Don't forget the kett, though," Liam added in, leaning against the window. "Fuck," he whistled as his hand slid over the glass, looking over to Jaal as his own big hand met it, awe on his light features. "This place is huge. And pretty."  
  
_"Activating a vault has previously activated a purification field. Perhaps Meridian is similar."_ Kylie scoffed loudly, pushing away from the glass and glancing at the console. "Uh, I hope the fuck _not_." Her brow quirked up as Liam snorted back a laugh, his hand clapping Jaal's shoulder as the angara grinned at her. "What?" She shot them a confused glare, her lips pursed. "I hate running from things that will instantly incinerate me if I fucking trip!"  
  
Drack haughtily laughed in agreement, his hand patting her back. She sighed. Loudly. "Let's just get going, okay?" Her hand ghosted over the console's commands, activating the gravity well behind them. She slowly approached it, her boots teetering over the edge as Liam grasped her hand and she grinned over at him, her eyes twinkling. "Ready?" The two lifted their interlaced hands. "Go!" Liam laughed as they jumped forward, their hands squeezing tighter as their bodies slowly fell before the gravity caught them, slowing them to a steady pace.  
  
"Hey!" Jaal called down after them. She glanced up to find him pouting pointedly at her as he jumped down, his arms irritably crossed. "I feel _very_ left out." Her tongue darted out and she winked up at him, his brows shooting straight up before he stuck his tongue out at her, too. "You're so cute, big g -"  
  
_"Kylie, I am picking up radio interference - A kett signal."_ Her breath caught in her chest, her gaze catching Liam's and they froze. _"Alert!"_ A kett voice started as their feet slowly caught the ground and his hand tightened on hers, _"the detected signal was a decoy. Khi Tisera has been infiltrated!"_ Panic started at the edges, her scared eyes looking back at Drack as his expression darkened. _"All units are to focus on the incapacitation and the capture of the 'Pathfinder'."_  
  
Drack scoffed behind her, grasping her shoulders and pulling her back as he saw the tell-tale sign of a panic attack eating away at her. "Not a chance they're getting you, kid." He growled, determination in his eyes as his arms wrapped around her. "No way I'm letting that happen." Jaal's hand caught hers, his bioelectricity trickling unsteadily as she looked up at him. "I won't let them touch even a single strand of hair on your head, my love." His voice grew low while Liam hummed in agreement. "If they even breathe near you, they're _dead_."

* * *

  
"It's..." Jaal warily started from beside her, " _very_ dark in here." His flashlight gradually flickered on and cast a small stream of light across the near-black room. "Ah," he paused as he came face to face with a tall, flowering plant, curiosity in his deep voice. "I've seen organisms like this on Havarl." She approached him, her hand meeting his lower back as his reached out and ghosted his fingertips across its surface, his brows furrowing in confusion as it's silhouette faltered. "This," he touched it again and the hologram flickered from his finger, "is a hologram."  
  
"That's wild!" Liam gasped in giddy awe, touching it and watching it flicker again before his brows furrowed. "Wait, what the fuck?" He looked over at Kylie and her dark brows furrowed, shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders. "This place has been nothing but goddamn weird so far," Drack added in from behind them, nodding his head as he headed further in.  
  
Her hand fell from the angara's back as he turned to face her, his flashlight shining into her eyes before he gasped and turned it off. "Sorry!" He sheepishly said, bending over to kiss her cheek. She rolled her eyes, grasping his hand and tugging him along as she took off further into the room. "Hey," the krogan caught their attention and he motioned his gun at his side, "look."  
  
A console flitted on and off beside him, its hologram flickering a soft blue. "Sweet!" She stepped up to it and held her hand out, the console flickering to life and the hologram spinning before it dissipated. Lights around the room slowly turned on, illuminating the dark room and showing rows upon rows of pods amongst other organisms, her awe-filled eyes not sure where to look at first as she slowly spun in a circle. "What?"  
  
Jaal's brows furrowed as he looked around, his hand catching her hip as he walked by and she trailed after him. Her icy eyes caught the sight of a familiar face in a pod and she gasped. "What... The fuck?" Her voice was breathless as she stormed up to it, the sight of an angara looking awfully akin to Jaal resting inside of it. Her eyes met his and his skin paled, his hand meeting the glass. "Sam," her hand pressed against the glass beside his, her omnitool flickering to life, "what's going on?"  
  
_"Translating."_ The angara beside her looked as if he were about to throw up, his other big hand coming up to press against the glass beside theirs as his eyes widened, his jaw falling open in shock and the slightest hint of a tremble in his arms. _"Pattern one-two-three."_  His brows shot straight up as he looked over at the girl, panic on his face. _"Viability: Fifty-six point two percent."_  
  
"W-What?" His breath left him in a rush at the AI's words, his head looking back to the angaran before his forehead pressed against the cool glass, his bright eyes searching the pod. _"Genetic template transmitted for testing."_ He looked back over at the girl, his bright eyes wide and his pupils so small, shock dancing in his features. He felt... Nauseous. "They," he could even barely speak as he pulled away from the pod and reached for her hands, trembling. "They were doing..." His deep voice hissed, tilting his head down and away from her, " _things_ to the angara."  
  
"It's like..." A slight crack in her voice. "Experiments of some kind." She squeezed his hands tightly, tiptoeing and pressing her forehead to his. He sighed softly, a hand leaving hers in favor of reaching up and cradling her jaw, his eyes squeezing shut as he willed himself to remain calm before they opened, the intensity of his gaze making her nearly shiver. "We have to save them, Kylie."  
  
"Yeah, we gotta get them out somehow." She fervently nodded as she broke free from his grip and started examining the pod, her hands searching for various weak points on its glass. _"Kylie,"_ her body froze at his voice. _"Jaal,"_ he paused in his steps, looking down at his omnitool. _"They cannot be saved."_  
  
"What?!" Jaal gasped indignantly, lifting his omnitool closer to his face and glaring down at it. Her heart hurt as she watched his face, his emotions fighting each other, anger and sadness mixing. _"I have analyzed the glyphs. These are not the angara we know."_ His breath hitched and her heart broke, the saddest expression tugging at his face. _"They are not even alive."_  
  
His wrist slowly fell, his eyes wide as he slowly took in the pods surrounding him. "I don't understand." Their hands fell from each other's as he took a few steps forward, his arms limp as he glanced at each angara's face before his brows furrowed and he glanced at his reflection in the pod. He shakily scoffed, holding up his hand. "They look so..." The hand gently pressed against the glass, his expression melting into near grief as his voice broke.  
  
_"The Remnant language refers to these bodies as genetic templates."_ Kylie carefully approached him, her hand meeting his shoulder. He glanced back at her with heavily-lidded, teary eyes, softly shrugging it off of him and her heart broke again, her hand lamely falling back down to her side. "A blueprint?" Her voice softly started, swallowing back a surge of emotions hitting her. She doesn't know what to do with herself. "Like the plants we saw?"  
  
He fervently shook his head, stepping away from the pod as his bright eyes searched the room, panic dancing up his spine. "No..." He breathed, the noise pained as he looked at Kylie with fear. "The angara... We," he angrily stammered as he searched for the words, looking back at the pod before he glanced around the room. "We came from here?" His hands violently gestured, pressing to his chest as he looked around. "They created _us_?" His hand met the pod, slowly sliding down it until it fell, meeting his own chest once more. "Why?"  
  
"Jaal," her voice broke him from his near panic attack, his eyes ripping away from the pod and over to her, his shoulders falling slack at the sight of her. "Where you came from doesn't change who you are, love." He very nearly rushed forward, his arms falling around her without a second thought as he melted into her touch and she hugged him as tightly as she possibly could. "Remember what you told me last night?" Her words were murmured against his neck, loud enough only for him to hear, his breathing unsteady. "Things happen for a reason, no matter how good or horrible they are. They make you the person that you are today."  
  
"Yes," a shaky sigh left him and was mumbled into her neck, her braids tickling his flat nose as he slightly nodded. "You're right." He fully nodded his head as he pulled away, his lips pressed together in thought. "We still face the same conflicts, the same..." His deep voice trailed off as his eyes met hers, his jaw falling open and his heart skipping a beat. "The same..." His voice faded as his eyes grew wide, something inside of him suddenly  _clicking._ "I... I feel as though..." His hand uselessly fumbled, gently rising to rest over her heart, feeling her heart beat through her armor. He swallowed thickly, his eyes meeting hers and the intensity in them making her feel numb. "I feel as though something has... Shifted. I feel -" He shook his head as his hand fell from her chest and he pulled away. "I need to think. I - I need to speak with the Moshae."  
  
"Meridian creates life." His voice wavered as he looked up, taking in the vast expanse of this... Place. "Not just life, but more," anger fell into his voice, sadness and wonder tugging at the edges as he turned back around to face the others, his brows furrowed and his body radiating with anger. "And the _Archon_ ," he hissed the name, a snarl on his face, "would use this to _destroy_ it." A hand balled into a fist, trembling as he lifted it and stared down at it before he looked right at Kylie, their gaze meeting. Determination was in his voice, utterly confident as he stepped towards her. "It's up to us to make sure that doesn't happen."  
  
"We won't let it," Liam added in, stepping up beside Kylie. "No way in hell," Drack said, his hand grasping his gun.  
  
The angara's face slowly relaxed into a small, happy smile, a disbelieving breath leaving him as he approached them. "I am so grateful for all of you." Her arms came out to pull him into a hug as he came up to her, crushing her against him. "If we crack Meridian's controls first, there's no way in hell that he'll use it before we can." Her hands reached for her holstered gun as they pulled away, determination set in her icy eyes.  
  
"I - I wish the Moshae could see this."

* * *

  
_"Provisional repairs are complete, Kylie."_ Her trembling arms gripped the console in front of her as her icy eyes stared out of the vast, glowing window in front of her, exhaustion heavy and settled deep in her bones. "Okay," she took in a deep, shaky breath, her hand hovering over its controls, "only one way to know for sure. Do it, Sam."  
  
The screen flickered to life in front of her, a flash of blue as a screen hummed to life and hovered in front of her, a hologram brimming with data. Her breath hitched. _"Translating..."_  She glanced back at the three behind her, their bodies tired. Liam was plopped down on the floor, his gun in his lap and his head in his hands while Drack leaned against a railing, his arms folded. Jaal stood behind her, his hand resting on her lower back as he watched the data slowly translate in front of them. _"Flight controls online. Welcome, Administrator."_  
  
"Administrator?" Kylie looked up at Jaal in confusion, her dark brows furrowing. "Okay, I have a really bad feeling about this, guys." Her hands fell from the console and she took a step back. _"Restoring the systems appears to have reactivated something else nearby."_ Strong hands gripped her waist, her eyes flickering up to catch a strange, near protective look in the angara's eyes as he pulled her further away from the console. "That's obvious, Sam."  
  
Neon red and blue piercing streams of light trickled from the console to the ceiling, blue electricity crackling around it as the room began to shake. Her icy eyes widened and her breath caught in her chest as the buildings through the window came alive, ships whirring to life and lifting up from their docking bays. Jaal's grip on her tightened, the sound of armor clanking as Drack stood up and made his way over to the girl. _"Translating."_  
  
_"Exploration vessels are on standby."_ Her jaw dropped, her hand reaching out and touching the window as all of the ships finally came to life, neon blue specks and lights darting the entirety of the window, so vast she was barely able to even comprehend it. _"We have seen Remnant ships, but none in working conditions."_  
  
"Holy fuck," Liam was breathless as he slowly pushed himself up from the ground. "This is... Wild. I can't believe we're seeing this right now." A big, giddy grin hit him as he bounced in his spot, reaching out to push her shoulder. "We're the first humans to see this shit, Lala!" Her hand trembled as it fell from the glass and Jaal's hand caught hers. She couldn't bring herself to be excited. She was fucking _scared._   _"It says it cannot retrieve commands from the Meridian Engine."_  
  
"Meridian Engine?" She hummed quietly under her breath, her eyes lowering as her mind raced. She looked back up. "Sam, what do you think -" Her words came to an abrupt stop as the sight of kett filled one of the docking bays, blue smoke hissing up and spreading through the vicinity as they disappeared into the haze. Her hand reached for her holster. "Goddamnit. You have to be _fucking_ kidding me."  
  
_"Lee!"_ She rolled into cover as the others reached for their guns, Suvi's voice nearly making her jump. _"I detected a surge of energy on the scans. The section you're in lit up like Mardi Gras!"_ She bit back a scoff, rolling her eyes at the image. The sight of a Destroyer whirring to life across the room made her feel all too nauseous, lifting her gun to take a shot.  
  
"What -" Jaal's confused, deep voice started up beside her and she shot him a glance, his brows furrowed as he picked off a few Remnant before he finally paused. An all too cute look hit him as he looked over at her, his lips pursed. "What's a Mardi Gras?" She poked his shoulder and shot him a smile. "I'll tell you about it later, okay?" He rolled his eyes and nodded his head, turning back to aim.  
  
_"Are you guys okay? What's going on -"_ The Destroyer inched closer and she sighed irritably, lifting her sniper rifle and getting to work again with trembling hands. "Kinda can't talk right now, Sue. There's a shit ton of Remnant here to kill us!"  
  
The last of the kett fell and she felt her biotics very nearly melt her brain, a searing pain inching its way from the front of her forehead to the sides of her head. Her hand darted up and rubbed at her temple, holstering her gun and leaning over the edge of her cover with a white-knuckle grip. "Are you okay, Lala?" Liam's hand caught her shoulder and she hissed in pain, twitching away from him. "I'm good." She ignored the look of hurt that briefly flickered on his face. "My biotics hurt. I think my implant's overheated."  
  
"Take it easy, kiddo." Drack shot her the most worried look as he holstered his gun and it made her heart hurt. "Don't want you to push too hard, got it? Gotta take care of yourself." His eyes flickered down to her stomach and she desperately ignored the thought itching at the back of her mind. "Keep your guards up," Jaal started as he rounded the girl, his brows furrowed. "The kett will be waiting for us." His gaze caught hers and his hand gently rested over her stomach, his bioelectricity tickling her skin through her armor while the other gently grasped her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. "Do you need a second, my love?"  
  
Kylie fervently shook her head, swallowing thickly. "I'm good." Her hand laid over the one on her stomach, the warmest smile on his face. "Let's get moving. Pretty sure we have access to the central hub or whatever now, and I'm sure as hell not losing it to the fucking kett, not after all we've fucking been through."

* * *

  
"Goddamn." Her voice cracked, barely managing between heavy breaths as she made her way up the ramp. "About _fucking_ time." An incessant shake settled into her hands as she approached the console nestled at the top of the ramps, surrounded by giant metal structures in an incredibly intricate layout that she, without a doubt in her goddamn tired body, hated.  
  
"What is that?" Liam was breathless as he grasped the console from the side, his chocolate eyes focused on the looming tower outside of the vast window in front of them. "A command tower?" His eyes met her icy ones and he grinned. "Party tower?" She rolled her icy eyes at him. Definitely not in the mood for cracking some jokes right now. "Look at the Scourge beside it," Jaal pointed a thick finger at the intricate space phenomenon, awe in his voice.  
  
"Wow." Kylie airly sighed as her trembling hand hovered over the center of the console, the slightest tug at the back of her head as Sam connected to the controls. _Weird. That's not normal. I never feel that kinda thing. Fuck._ The slightest touch of her hand sent a hologram spiraling around her. Her feet moved before she could think, darting from one side to the other as it engulfed her and her icy eyes shot wide open. "Oh, my God." It spread out from around her, engulfing the four of them as planets lit up, an intricate pattern landing on the center of the hologram, revealing orange, foreign text flickering about. _"Translating."_ Sam's voice made her tremble, her hands balling into fists. _"Connection lost. Meridian Engine not found."_  
  
"Um, _not found_?" She shot an incredulous look up at the hologram, her hands flicking up. "What do you mean, _not found_?" Her voice left her angrier than it should, her eyes frantically searching the hologram. "What the fuck?!" A fist slammed on the console and a hand landed on her shoulder as pain shot up her arm, pulling her back. Drack. "Relax, kid. We can fix this." His look made her pause, shaking her fist out as she stormed a step away from him. "Sam, you got anything?"  
  
_"No."_  Okay, she definitely wanted to just fucking scream. _"The systems are intact, but they are searching for a component that doesn't appear to exist."_ Her mouth fell open, the exhaustion and anger mixing together and sending her heart racing. "You're fucking goddamn kidding me." She looked up at Drack, then over to Jaal. "Don't tell me we just went through all of this for nothing, I -" Her brows furrowed as she looked over at Liam and she scoffed, her shoulders relaxing as she turned away from them. A shrug, a hand darting up to grasp at her temples before she whipped around and slammed her foot into the side of the console _hard_. "Fucking _nothing_!"  
  
_"Kylie,"_ his voice stopped her before anyone else could grab her, tears pricking the corners of her frustrated eyes as her hands grasped her braids and pulled, _"I have found something. A moment."_  
  
A foreign voice flickered through their comms, static darting it and almost making it impossible to hear the words. _"Tavadon aviraa. An Solaraan asa valtov ganye. Berah iras -"_ Sam's voice interrupted it, her eyes shooting wide open. _"Translating."_ Her gaze met Jaal's and his brow quirked, his lips pressing together, confusion on his face. _"Final administrator log: The Opposition's weapon may cause widespread damage. All our weapons, our ships, will not be able to protect us or my goal."_  
  
Their eyes flickered to the stream of steady electricity flowing from the console, a small object slowly lowering from the intricate, metal ball's hologram in the center. Her hand shot out and Jaal pulled it away, holding it to his chest as it crackled with electricity. _"Ehsan davaar ferloss. Berah iras ongaan taveltov. Hanela Jardaan."_ The metal ball slowly hovered, gradually making its way above the center of the four. _"We need to disengage Meridian from command core, which will remain here to draw fire. Meridian contains all the work of the Jardaan."_ A soft gasp. _"Nothing else matters."_  
  
Her icy eyes slowly looked over at Jaal's, hesitation and anxiety dancing in her chest and she found that same look of fear pricked in the very center of his features. She squeezed his hand and he met her gaze, the fear slowly relaxing until it disappeared. _"I will send it far. We can return one day and continue the process of renewal."_ Hope? Another squeeze, this time he smiled at her. Hope.  
  
_"End of log."_ The ball and the hologram of the triangular object disappeared into the stream of energy as the planets dissipated, the map fading into nothing. "The Archon was wrong." Her eyes searched the console, her breath hitched. "This isn't Meridian. Meridian is..." She turned back to look at them, her dark brows furrowed. "Gone."  
  
"Kylie," Jaal took a step forward, his head shaking. "There must be some way to recall it, to get it back." His mouth opened, only to clamp shut as an explosion outside of the window sent the building trembling. Her heart nearly stopped as she looked outside and caught sight of a large kett ship incoming, its guns blazing and sending spurts of explosions across the buildings. Doom hit the back of her head and she swallowed thickly. "Oh, my God."  
  
"We gotta move. Now!" Drack yelled, yanking the girl into cover as he ripped out his gun. An explosion rattled them as the other two rolled into cover and she swallowed her furiously beating heart, an overwhelming mix of anxiety and frustration melting her into anger. "Just my fucking goddamn shitty luck!" Her voice rose, a near scream and she slammed her fist into the metal rail. "Holy fucking _shit_!" She screamed, her head hitting the metal this time, her face contorting in pain. "I'm _so_ fucking tired of this!"  
  
"Kid," Drack's hand darted out and stopped her from slamming her head back into it, shaking his head. "You're good. Breathe. We got this, we'll get out of this, and you'll be okay." Her jaw trembled as she wiped away the slightest hint of blood from her nose with the back of her wrist, then she wiped her eyes from her frustrated, hot tears. "Sam, get us a fucking way out of here. I don't care how. Just get it."  
  
_"There is no other exit, Kylie."_ She almost screamed again, her eyes bolting wide open and her nostrils flaring as she shot a pointed look up at the krogan. _"However, the Remnant city is not without defenses, and this is its central command."_  
  
A harsh curse under her breath, her eyes glaring a hole into the ground. "Remnant defenses," she mumbled to herself until it hit her, her head snapping over to the console. "Fuck, Remnant defenses!" Her body moved without a second thought, dodging a piece of metal that fell from the ceiling and darting over to the console, holding her trembling hand out. "Sam, now!"  
  
The defenses whirred to life, turrets glowing and turning to the kett ships. Her body trembled as the room shook, a loud, hard vibration humming under their feet. Her eyes snapped back to her crew as the ship outside the window crashed, going out in a bright explosion of colors. Jaal beamed, his arms outstretched to hug her, the happiest smile on her face before the doors below them hissed open and she pushed him to the ground.  
  
"The Archon wants _that_ one," the kett leader hissed, her finger pointed at Kylie as kett filled the room, their guns raised. "Destroy the rest." Kylie's jaw dropped open in utter shock before her stubbornness hit her _hard_. "You can try to come and fuckin' get me, dumbass! See where that lands you!" The leader disappeared into a puff of blue smoke and she cursed, kicking the wall and brushing her baby hairs out of her face. "Fucking hell, watch out! The dumbass can cloak!"  
  
"I hate those things!" Jaal hissed beside her, switching spots to be on her outside while Drack took up beside her, Liam smashed in the middle right beside her. "Keep the kid safe, got it?" The krogan growled as Kylie picked off a stray kett and Liam hummed in agreement.  
  
Everything slowly muddled into a hazy, fast mess, her mind feeling blurry and light as the battle continued on. Her mind flickered every minute to the thought of her stomach and it made her feel positively sick as her gun kicked back from a shot. She didn't feel right. Something felt... Off. Wrong.  
  
Her ears rang as an explosion went off nearby them and they scattered, her body rolling away and running down the ramp, dodging kett and slamming into them with her omnitool's weapon as she passed by. "Everyone good?" She called out over their comms, her brows furrowing as sweat trickled down her temple, glancing behind her as she rolled into cover.  
  
_"I'm chill,"_ Liam called back through their comms, his body disappearing and reappearing behind a Destined and taking it right down in one clean slice. _"Ooh!"_  She whistled into their comms. _"Nice one, Lola."_ He shot her a double thumbs-up as he took off, disappearing into cover. _"Oh, psshh!"_ His laughter made her grin. _"Thanks, Lala."_  
  
_"I'm all good,_ _too,"_ Drack answered, the sound of his battle cry echoing through the room as he charged at the leader. "I'm fine as well." The angara's voice beside her caused her to jump, her gun briefly flickering at him before she pointed it straight up, shooting him a wary glare before her features relaxed and she softly chuckled. "Don't scare me like that, literally almost shot you just now." He rolled his bright blue eyes and leaned down to give her a quick kiss on her cheek before he brought his gun back up, the smallest smile on her face.  _How he can be so cute during serious moments, I have no fuckin' idea._  
  
"Lost visual on the bastard!" The krogan's deep voice called out and her eyes shot wide open, panic biting at her as she hyper-focused on everything around her. One gunshot and it's all over. One hit and she's got no reason to live anymore. Fuck - A muffled noise sounded behind them and she shot up, grabbing the angara's rofjinn and yanking him _hard_ along with her as she bolted away, a blue puff of smoke erupting behind them. "Over here, Drack!" He growled as he stormed down the ramp, his heavy steps making the ground tremble as he raised his gun and yelled. "Back the fuck off!" Drack hissed as the leader ran after the girl, Jaal's gun pointing behind them and shooting as many shots as possible as they ran up the ramp, his other hand gripping her waist and holding her tightly.  
  
They passed by Drack as the kett neared and the krogan pushed them behind him, charging right for the kett. A puff of smoke erupted and blocked their view, gunshots sounding and screaming coming from the two. "Dad?!" Her heart nearly stopped as her steps skidded to a stop, the angara nearly yanking her to the ground at the abrupt stop, her chest hurting. Silence. She took a step back, her body hitting Jaal's chest. Silence. "Drack?!"  
  
Her breathing almost entirely stopped as the smoke slowly evaporated to reveal the kett leader dead and the krogan stumbling, deep blood slowly trickling from the hand over his chest. "Oh, my fucking God!" Her voice trembled as she bolted towards him, her heart breaking as he grabbed her and leaned on her for support - _He never leans on me for support. This is... Bad. I can't lose Dad. Oh, my God. Oh, my fucking God._ "I'm good," he hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes squeezing shut as he grasped her shoulder with his free hand. Liam came darting up behind them, rushing to move under his other shoulder. "We got you, big guy."  
  
"Tempest," her voice trembled as she lifted her omnitool, her mind panicked and her lip quivering. "Tell - Tell Lexi to be on standby. Drack got shot, in the chest." He adamently shook his head, letting out a ragged, pained breath. "I have three other hearts, kid. I'm fine." She shook her head back at him, her brows furrowing deeply. "You're not! Shut. The." He growled, rolling his eyes. "Fuck. Up."  
  
_"Drack!"_ Lexi's scolding voice came through their comms and he winced, squeezing his eyes shut as they maneuvered back up to the top of the ramp. _"How many times have I told you to be careful? How'd he get injured this time, Kylie? Did he storm right up to them?"_ He shot her a glare, a warning deep in his eyes, telling her that she better not answer. "Yes, he did." She shot him a just as bone-chilling glare and he rolled his eyes, his not injured hearts swelling at how well she did his signature look. _"Nakmor Drack!"_  
  
"God, you're cute when you're worried, Lex." Drack softly chuckled back as Liam plopped down beside him and pulled his hand away, fishing out medical supplies from his own belt. "I'm good, okay? No need to get all worked up over little old me." A loud, irritated and entirely too frustrated groan sounded from their comms and he haughtily laughed, wincing in pain from the motion.  
  
_"Whatever you guys did, the kett are retreating."_ Kallo chimed in while Kylie approached the console once more, her brows furrowed and her hand tapping the console in thought. _"Anything on Meridian yet?"_ Her heart sunk the longer she stared at it, her brain barely able to focus on anything other than Drack. Drack's injured. Drack's hurt. What if Drack dies? _Holy fucking shit._  "It's -" She hesitated as she collected her thoughts, her omnitool flickering on her right wrist. "This isn't Meridian. It's... Hard to explain." Her eyes squeezed shut. "I'll tell you about it later."  
  
Jaal took up his usual place beside her, his hand reaching out to rest on her lower back. "So, Meridian's gone, I guess." She looked up at him and he sighed, shrugging down at her. His eyes focused on the buildings outside of the window, a soft hum rumbling in his chest as he mulled over the possibilities. "Shouldn't this thing know where the navpoint of it went, though?"  
  
_"Contact with the Scourge will have altered Meridian's original path, Jaal."_  He sighed irritably. _"It would take countless years to determine its current location."_  Her shoulders fell slack in defeat as her hands reached out and grasped the edges of the console. His hand rubbed a gentle circle on her back and she warily smiled. "Thanks, Sassmaster. Helpful as always." Her head tilted down, her voice a whisper, resisting the urge to kick something. "Goddamnit."  
  
"If the Scourge is what's messing things up, perhaps we should look there." Jaal's arms wrapped around her waist and squeezed her tightly, the girl unable to look up at him. He frowned, leaning down until he was at her height. "Have hope, my love." She looked even further down and he crouched down, catching her gaze as he straightened and her hesitantly eyes followed after him. "We did not come here to just give up."  
  
"You're kidding, right?" Her eyes bore into his, tears swelling in them. "We've just -" She scoffed, harshly pushing away from the console and her words coming out in a rush. "We've just gone through how many fucking battles, only to come to the fact that Meridian's probably never gonna be found, Dad's fucking hurt and the Jardaan are weird as fuck?" Her hands violently gestured in the air as she furiously paced, her angry eyes glued to the ground. "You heard Sam!" She looked back at him, entirely too frustrated as she sharply pointed up at the ceiling. "It could be _fucking years_ before we know where it's at!" Her voice rose dangerously high into a near yell, her icy eyes dancing with unbridled anger. "For all I know, we're all fucking _doomed_!"  
  
"Kid," Drack's pained voice broke her from her pity party, her eyes darting over to catch his soft yet irritated gaze. "We kicked the kett out of one of their biggest fortresses. We've made progress." His eyes squeezed shut and he growled lowly as Liam worked the medigel into his wound, his hand gesturing in the air. "You can't just close your eyes, cover your ears and pretend that you didn't just do somethin' major just 'cause we didn't find what we came here for." The softest smile tugged at his pained face as his eyes opened, the taken aback look on her face making his heart hurt. "It's the little things, kid."  
  
Her hands shot up to irritably wipe away the frustrated tears in her eyes, her nostrils flaring for the briefest second as her emotions stormed heavily in her chest. "Fuck." She hated it when he was right. He's always right. _"Ryder, we're ready whenever you are."_ Her head tilted back at the pilot's voice and she sighed. Loudly. "Sam, get as much of this shitty fucking data as possible." She made her way over to Drack, grabbing under his arm and hefting him up with Liam's help. "Let's go."

* * *

  
_"Kylie,"_ Sam's robotic voice startled her from her near-sleep beside Drack's bed. Her body shot straight up in her chair from her previous curled-up position, her heart racing wildly while she rubbed at her tired eyes. Drack snorted into laughter beside her and she shot him an entirely too irritated look. "Hey, what can I say? You're cute, kid." He held up his hands in defense, rolling his eyes as she stuck her tongue out at him. _"Director Tann is waiting to speak with you in the vidcall center."_ Her dark brows irritably furrowed, her fingers pressing against her temples. "Tell the jackass to fuck off." Exhaustion bit at her hoarse, tired voice. "I'm not talkin' to him right now."  
  
_"As you wish."_ The voice faded away and she sighed, watching as Lexi poked and prodded at the wound on the krogan's chest. "It's clean, at least." Lexi sighed, annoyance dancing in her tone as she glared up at his face. He scrunched it up at her and she scoffed. "You're not making me laugh right now, Drack. What you did was _irresponsible_ beyond belief." He held up his hands again, rolling his eyes and pointedly looking away from her, his gaze landing down on Kylie's lap. "Hey, I did what I had to do to protect my kid, got it?" Her heart hurt at his words. "She comes first."  
  
"Dad." His eyes looked up at her and he was taken aback by how sad her eyes were. The thought of him getting killed just to keep her safe made her want to... She isn't sure how it made her feel, really. Cease to exist? Die? The fact that he wants to put his life on the line for her made her feel nauseous. "You can't just keep throwing yourself into danger and putting your life on the line in the name of 'protecting someone'." His brows furrowed at her air quotes and she held up her hand, wagging her finger. "Not finished. Lemme finish, okay?" A nod of his head and she took in a soft, quick breath. "Because I know you. You're like me." Her hand darted out and grasped his. He shakily sighed, bringing her hand closer to him. "Kid -"  
  
"No. Listen, please," she squeezed his hand tightly, the slightest tremble in his usually steady grip making her heart squeeze in her chest. "You do this for me all the time. I can see exactly what you're talking about, now." A shaky sigh, her head slightly shaking side to side. "I can't imagine my life without you in it, okay?" Her eyes searched his. "You're not worthless and you're not a piece of shit." He felt like crying. "I know you think you are. That you're this worthless old man that nobody needs around anymore, but I need you, Drack." Her eyes softened as she stared at him, his eyes looking awfully teary and making her own eyes feel teary. "Dad." That nearly broke him, his free hand darting up to rub at his sad eyes. "If anything, you're my piece of shit, and I would be nothing without my piece of shit."  
  
"Kid..." His eyes fell shut as an airy chuckle left him, a near snort escaping him as he rolled his eyes. This kid, he swears. _His_ stubborn ass kid. "Kylie, I'm good." Her eyes narrowed at him and he huffed. "Trust me. You of all people know how strong krogan are, okay?" He shakily sighed, leaning his head back against his pillow and smiling up at her, his free hand folding under his head. "A little gunshot wound to one of my four hearts is nothin'. You should go check on your lover-boy." His hand squeezed hers. "What we discovered back there was enough to fuck even me up, so I can only imagine how he feels right now."  
  
"Yeah," her voice was soft, her eyes darting down to the ground. "Yeah, I should. Don't do anything stupid, okay? Rest." Drack indignantly rolled his eyes and nodded his head, patting her hand before she stood up. "You're startin' to sound like Lex." She scoffed and leaned down, pinching his cheek and earning a grunt from him before she pressed a kiss against it and took off, the doors hissing shut behind her.  
  
Lexi resisted the urge to slap him as she sat down on the bed beside him, her arms folding over her chest. "Care to explain yourself, Drack?" The krogan audibly snorted, shooting her a cocky little grin while she glowered. "Nope. I already did, six different times." Her arms slowly uncrossed and wrapped around his carapace as he sat up. "Goddess, I thought I was going to lose you for a moment there. She sounded so scared through the comms, Drack." She pulled him into a hug, a shaky sigh leaving her as his eyes stared down at the bed. "I'm pretty sure she thought she was going to lose you." His eyes squeezed shut at her words, his hearts hurting. "I don't want to lose you, okay? You're old enough without getting yourself severely injured, old man."  
  
"Aw, Lex." Drack chuckled softly, swallowing away his emotions as his hands came up to rest over hers. "Trust me, I ain't goin' anywhere as long as that kid's alive, bluebutt." He hummed in thought while she lightly giggled at the stupid little nickname he gave her, tilting his head to the side and nuzzling his chin into her shoulder. "And you," he cockily added after a moment, a lazy smirk on his face, "of course."

"Good answer." The asari bit back a cheeky grin, leaning down to kiss him. His hand came up and cradled her jaw, a happy little smile pressed into the kiss.

* * *

  
Her hand hesitated at the doors to the techlab as she heard a voice mumbled behind it. _"Are you sure about this, Jaal? This is..."_ The voice hesitated. The Moshae. Why is he talking to the Moshae? _I thought he wanted to go to Aya to speak to her in person._  Her brows furrowed, her ear pressed against the door. _"This is a very serious thing, Jaal, not something to be taken lightly."_ He hummed in thought, a soft sigh leaving him. "I know how I feel about her, Moshae Shefa. I... I want this. She makes me feel... Strange." A breathless chuckle, disbelief in his deep voice. "Like I can do even the most impossible thing when she's with me."  
  
The softest knock sounded through the doors and he fell quiet, her heart skipping a beat at the silence. "She's here," he said softly after a moment, letting out an unsteady breath. _"Go see her, Jaal."_ The comm slowly dimmed down to nothing, the sound of him shuffling behind the door before they finally hissed open, revealing the sight of a very relieved angara. "Darling one," he breathed as he pulled her into a tight hug.  
  
"Are you okay?" Her voice came out softer than she expected, her arms falling around his neck as he hefted her up and spun them around in a little circle. She giggled, her legs wrapping around his hips as the doors hissed shut, her fingers running down the back of his head. "I'm more than okay, dearest." He sighed happily into her shoulder, his bioelectricity spiking. Her heart fumbled in her chest and she took in a soft breath. "Are you sure? The Jardaan -"  
  
He gently sat her down, his hands hesitating on her hips and the sweetest smile on his face as he stared down at her, his bright eyes heavily lidded. "I've..." His tongue darted out to lick his lips, clearing his throat. "Come to terms with it, I suppose. I have been thinking about it since we encountered it on Khi Tisera." A soft sigh left him, a spark hitting her hips before his hands fell from hers and he took a step away from her, his expression falling serious.  
  
"Already?" Kylie shot him an incredulous look, her brows shooting up. "And you're not torn up about it? I totally would be. I mean," she held her hands up, "you know, I'm not trying to goad you into feeling bad about it or anything."  
  
"Truthfully?" He stared out at the wall of data in front of him on one of the lab's computers, his brows furrowing. "I was... Numb. In awe." She stepped up beside him and his hand reached for hers, his thumb skimming over hers. "There's a peace in knowing that, although the universe is beyond your understanding," his hand fell from hers as he gave her a quick smile before he crossed the room, digging around in his various boxes for something, "it doesn't need your understanding to..." He pulled out a small object, a smile on his face as he looked back at her. "Function."  
  
Her head tilted. "Just what are you doing, big guy?" He grinned, waggling his brows at her. She scoffed as he continued. "That you may even have a hidden destiny." He hummed in thought as he took her hand and guided her over to his bed, urging her to sit down while he set up the small object on his desk. "Your destiny is yours to make it." She said softly, her fingers thumbing at the hem of her black shirt while he tinkered with the object.  
  
"Exactly," he all but beamed as the object flickered on, his bright blue eyes looking over to her. "Your destiny is what you make of it, what you want it to be. I believe I have figured mine out." He took in a soft breath, looking back at the object. "Lay down. I want to show you something."  
  
"Um, okay." She nervously giggled, laying down on his cot and bending her knees. The sudden wash of a hologram galaxy flooded the room in a beautiful show of purples, blues, pinks and blacks, her heart skipping a beat. "Oh," she breathed, her hand reaching out to touch a fake star as he laid down beside her, his hand reaching for the outstretched one and gently grasping it. "I believe my destiny is to explore the stars. With you."  
  
A giddy, sweet smile crawled cross her face and she looked at him in disbelief, bringing their joined hands to her mouth. "Really?" He sighed happily at the disbelief in her soft voice, rolling onto his side to face her. "Yes," his voice was so soft, so gentle as she kissed his hand, the warmest blush dancing across her cheeks, "without a doubt in my mind. Everything leading up to this point has brought me to realize that meeting you _was_ my destiny."  
  
"Oh, Jaal..." The angara sat up, gently pulling her along with him. "When I first saw you, I had a feeling everything was going to change." His body stood and she stood along with him, his other hand grasping hers and pulling her over to his desk. "For the better, that is. I kept journals of our adventures, how I felt and what I thought of you over the time we've spent together. The Jardaan discovery..." He hesitated as his hands slowly fell from hers, his hands ghosting over one of the journals sat on his desk. "It only reiterated this. To discover something like this," he looked over at her with awe and wonder, his breath catching, "the impossible, in a place where no angara has ever been able to go? I would not have been able to discover that, to find it, without you in my life."  
  
Tears bubbled in the back of her throat and she swallowed them down thickly, her eyes searching his as he took her hands once more, bringing her closer to him. "I am..." His knees pressed against hers and he slowly took a few steps forward, her back inching towards the wall. "The most incredibly lucky man to ever live." He bent forward, his forehead pressing against hers as his bioelectricity spiked and tickled her hands, her back meeting the wall and a shaky sigh leaving him. "I am..." His hands slowly trailed up her arms, cradling her jaw. "I am so incredibly thankful for you, my love." A soft, gentle kiss. "I love you so much." Another kiss, more intense than the one before, until they grew frequent and frantic.  
  
"Jaal," her breath came out unsteady as he pulled away after a moment and her icy eyes caught his gaze. His grip on her jaw tightened, his forehead pressed against hers. An unsteady breath came from him as he pressed his body against hers, pinning her against the wall, his breathing heavy. "I..." Bioelectricity tickled at her skin, hot and unsteady while a deep, hot flush danced across her cheeks, her face warm to the touch. "Fuck me senseless."


	23. second nature

"Gladly." His deep voice rumbled low in his chest as he crushed her against the wall into a searing kiss, his hands dropping from her jaw and trailing down her body. They slid down her back her and roughly squeezed her ass, earning the softest gasp. She jumped from the grasp, her fingers getting to work untying his rofjinn, the deep blue fabric falling off his shoulders and tumbling to the ground.  
  
Soft fingers trailed over the fabric of his undersuit across his shoulder, goosebumps dotting her skin as his bioelectric current spiked, her hands falling numb and tingly in all the best ways. He kicked his rofjinn out of the way as his hands reluctantly released his tight grip on her ass and reached up, unclasping her rofjinn and catching it before it could fall, carefully laying it on his desk.

A big hand slowly slid up the front of her shirt, goosebumps following its electric wake as his fingertips reached the hem of her bralette, his skin's strange texture catching the soft, dainty fabric. "Oh?" Jaal murmured as he slowly pulled away from her kisses, his brows furrowing as he lifted her shirt up and glanced down at her bra. "What is this?" His low voice hummed in wonder, thumbing the delicate white fabric.

"Oh, it's lace." She cheekily grinned up at him, her breathing heavy as her hands trailed up his forearms in an attempt to keep herself calm. "It's usually something humans wear when they wanna feel sexy." A brow quirked up at her and she flushed, her brows furrowing. "Um, I - I like it 'cause it's comfortable. And soft." Her face burned. "You know."

A slow, shit-eating smirk lazily crawled across his face as his thumb slipped under the fabric while she pulled her shirt off, slowly tugging the delicate, white lace up. "You're  _always_ sexy, my love."  
  
"Oh -" A soft rip came from where his finger laid and her entire body froze, his other hand catching her bare waist and keeping her still. Her icy eyes shot up to glare at him, her brows furrowed as eyes narrowed. "If you fucking rip it, I _swear_  to -"

The fabric pulled up and away, loudly ripping apart as his thumb twisted and trailed up the dainty fabric. Her eyes shot wide open.

"Are you kidding me?" Kylie whined loudly as a big, cocky grin crawled across his face. She punched his shoulder and he burst into laughter, throwing the torn-up fabric off to the side. "Jaal!" She hit his shoulder again and he rolled his eyes, burying his face into her shoulder. "Jaal fucking Ama fucking Darav! I paid almost a hundred creds for that!"  
  
"What?" His words were mumbled all too innocently into her neck as his laughs slowly trailed off, his hands grasping under her ass and hefting her up. His knee pressed in between her legs, eliciting the softest gasp from her as he hiked her up and pinned her to the wall, her legs wrapping around his waist. "I do believe that it was in the way, my love." A soft sigh escaped her as he slowly trailed kisses from her neck to her collarbone, pausing to leave little nibbles every other kiss.

"Uh huh, sure it was." She managed a scoff before she gasped at a particularly rough kiss, her head falling back against the wall and her eyes falling shut. Nails dug into his shoulders. "Totally couldn't just gently pull it off."  
  
"Nope." _Fuck him and his confident ass._ "I'll pay you back." He warmly smirked against her umber skin and she haughtily rolled her eyes, her hands coming to rest behind his head and thumbing one of the slits along the back of his skin. He sighed. "Just," a brow quirked up at her, his eyes twinkling with mischief as she blushed and dragged her nails down his back, "not in money, that is." 

 _Holy fucking shit. Love it when he gets all cocky during sex._ The sigh ghosted across her skin from him at her touch sent a shiver up her spine and he chuckled, his head tilting to the other side of her neck and lavishing it with open-mouthed kisses.  
  
"God, I can't fucking deal with you." Her voice came out shaky, the sharpest sigh leaving her as his kisses slowly trailed lower, her eyes falling shut as his near-sandpaper tongue ghosted across her nipple and a shudder ran up her body. "Especially when you do shit like _this_ ," she gasped and arched her back as he sucked the bud into his hot mouth, the grip on his neck trembling and a hand balling into a fist in the air, "right after ripping my clothes."  
  
His deep laugh against her skin made her sigh happily as he pulled away from her tit and peered up at her, the most amused look in his bright, pupil-blown eyes, a hand coming up to squeeze and thumb the one he neglected. "Oh, you know you love me."

She cheekily grinned at him as he carefully set her down and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, sure." His fingers hooked into the waistband of her loose shorts, her words slightly stumbling over each other. "You know it, babe." Her finger scratched at the back of his head and his eyes rolled shut, a stuttering sigh escaping him before he could help it. "You're too cute to stay mad at."  
  
"Too cute?" Jaal's brows furrowed irritably as his eyes opened and his lips pursed up at her, his fingers dipping lower and hooking the hem of her panties along with the waistband of her shorts, slowly pulling the two down her slightly stubbly legs. He reveled in how her legs felt against his touch, a soft sigh leaving him.

" _Just_ cute? I do seem to remember," he managed between slow kisses from her chest down to her stomach, hesitating over a cluster of dark freckles and lavishing them with attention, "a certain someone calling me a _deliciously_ handsome, _ridiculously_ hot shot of a man quite a few times." Her stomach tensed at the rumble of his deep voice and the ghost of his warm breath. He chuckled against her skin, his kisses slowly trailing lower and her heart skipping a beat. _He's on a mission, I guess._  "What happened to that?"  
  
"Um," she nervously stuttered, her grip faltering on his head and a shiver dancing up her spine as his hand trailed down her body and circled her clit, "that's me when I can _think_ properly. Right now," a gasp interrupted her words as he kissed the skin _just_ above where she wanted him to be, her fingers trembling as they vainly grasped at the wall behind her, "it's pretty goddamn hard to think."  
  
His head slowly trailed lower, bright eyes darting up to watch her expression as his face came closer and closer to her core, his lips slowly parting as his hand fell away and his tongue darting out, her eyes falling shut and a soft moan -  
  
_"Kylie,"_ her hand slammed so hard against the wall at the start of Lexi's voice. The noise startled the man between her legs, her biotics crackling and sending a box tumbling over from his desk.  _"When you have a moment, I need to see you down in the medbay."_

He had barely managed to reach out and catch the box before it hit the ground, his eyes wide. "Holy shit." She bit her bottom lip so hard she drew blood, her eyes tightly squeezing shut as irritation hit her hard, her body rigid and tense as a _very_ irritated groan ripped from her. "Fucking goddamnit!"  
  
Jaal angrily grumbled a few choice curses in Shelesh under his breath as he grasped her clothing still around her ankles and pulled them up as he stood, his brows furrowed in annoyance and a grumpy sigh leaving him. "Her timing is impeccable." His hands skimmed over her messy, thick braids. "Just when we were about to get to my favorite part."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Kylie's dark brows were nearly permanently furrowed, a furious blush on her face as she bent over and picked up her clothes, getting to work putting them on. "I can't fucking believe this." Her words were mumbled hastily under her breath, her eyes searching the floor for her bra before she remembered a rip -

She hit his shoulder _hard_ , the cutest pout on her face as he shot her a smug little glance over his shoulder. "And now I don't have a fucking _bra_ to wear for my fucking daily medbay visit _apparently_ , thanks to you and your..." Her hand gestured to his irritably. "I don't even know. Sandpaper hands?"  
  
"Ha!" He beamed beside her as he tied his rofjinn back around his shoulders, plucking hers from his desk. "I suppose you could call it that," he waggled his fingers at her and she felt a sudden rush dance across her cheeks. "Just... Just give me that." Her hand darted out for her rofjinn and he pulled it away, holding it just out of her reach. She pouted at him. "Allow me, my love." He happily smiled down at her as he wrapped it around her shoulders, clasping the front of it for her and pressing a kiss against her cheek.

* * *

  
"Okay. Hit me with it, Mom," Kylie said as the doors to the medbay hissed open. A startled gasp echoed through the room, her hands hanging lamely in the air and her eyes shooting wide open as Lexi scrambled to crawl off of Drack, her face flushed an impossibly deep purple. "Kylie Ryder!" Her stern voice made her blood run cold, the back of the asari's hand wiping at her face as embarrassment hit her hard, the flush dancing down her neck.

"Um, should I come back?" Kylie's eyes helplessly darted from one to the other, confusion deep in her eyes before her head sarcastically shook side to side and she took a step back, her jaw hanging open. Lexi was ready to _scream._ "You didn't tell me you were on your way!"  
  
"Wh -" Kylie's jaw hung slack as she speechlessly looked from the asari over to the krogan, his face mildly flushed as he watched the asari, a lazy grin on his face. The biggest, cockiest grin danced across her face, mischief twinkling in her icy eyes as she caught the krogan's gaze and he winked at her. "So," she slowly started as she approached Drack's bed, plopping down beside him and shooting him a smug little look. "When's the wedding?"  
  
"Kylie! By the Goddess, can you just -" Lexi nearly hissed, taking in a deep, steadying breath and burying her face in a datapad to hide her embarrassment while Drack burst into haughty laughter. "Goddess, I'm _not_ paid enough for this job." Her fingers pressed against her temples, willing her heart to calm down.

A moment passed before she dropped the datapad back down once she felt her composure slowly come back, shaking her head in determination. "Okay," she nodded to herself, turning back to face the girl. Her body froze at the grin on her face and she turned away once more, letting out a shaky sigh before turning back around.  
  
"All... _That_ aside," the doctor nearly mumbled and lost her composure as she approached the bed, bringing up her wrist and turning on her omnitool. "Sam sent me a diagnostic report of your system after the events on Khi Tisera." The girl quirked a brow up at the asari, her brows furrowing in worry. "It appears you have microscopic tears on various parts of your parietal lobe."  
  
Drack almost gasped as her jaw dropped open, her hand reaching up to touch her head. The AI started up as if on cue, the asari's head nodding along as he spoke.  _"I believe it is from interacting with Remnant devices when your body is physically exhausted. I am not properly connecting to its servers when your body is not alert enough for me to fully pass through, so your brain is attempting to compensate for the difference."_  

 _"_ _It is not enough for you to worry about at the moment, but I believe it would be best if you did not interact with Remnant devices when your body is tired. Prolonged exposure may cause more tears which will lead to irreversible brain damage."_  
  
"Wow," she let out a soft, shaky breath, looking back at Drack with fear dancing in her eyes. "Shit." His brows furrowed, his hand reaching out and catching hers. "I knew I felt something was off around the tail end of that mission. I could feel a tug in my brain when I'd connect to the console." She shakily sighed and looked back at Lexi, her dark brows furrowed. "So... Is - Is that all you needed to tell me?"

Lexi shook her head. "No. I'm not sure why, but Sam alerted me that there have been some difficulties with his implant being able to connect with yours." A startled gasp left her, her hand gesturing in the air before it fell down to her lap. "Okay," Kylie slowly started, trying to keep calm. "My Sam implant or my implant-implant?"  
  
_"Your biotic implant."_ Her heart sunk at his words, her stomach twisting. _No._ _"I believe your implant has successfully detached itself from your brain, Kylie."_  Icy eyes shot wide open as her free hand darted up to touch her head where her implant would be, her hand trembling.

 _"I cannot detect any type of connection. It would be wise for you to get a new implant, with all things considered. Your current one has damage from your previous history, not to mention the damage it accumulated from your being electrocuted back on Voeld. It is no longer functioning and will be a danger if you attempt to use your biotics."_  
  
Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as she looked up at Drack, her lip quivering. "This is the implant my mom gave me, Drack. She made it _specifically_ for me." Her hand darted up to rub away a tear that broke free, shaking her head as he leaned forward to pull her into a hug. "I can't just get this one removed. It's the last part of her I kept. I can't -"  
  
"Kylie," Lexi's hands met her shoulders as she sat down beside her on the bed. "You need to take care of yourself, first. I will research _every_ possible way for us to fix your current implant but until then, you need one that functions. You'll hurt yourself if you don't." Her arm wrapped around her shoulder, the krogan nestling his chin into the girl's trembling shoulder. "We won't just throw your mother's implant away, okay? I know how much it means to you."  
  
"I - I can't, Lexi, I can't -" Her hands started to tremble as she stared down at them, unable to fight away the tears blurring her vision. "I already took shitty care of the one fucking thing she left behind for me. I can't - She won't be a part of me anymore, you guys!" She violently shook her hands in front of her before they darted up to press against her temples, squeezing her head so hard it hurt. "You - You don't understand." Her gaze met Lexi's, her eyes wide in fear and desperation.

"I don't - I - I don't know how to explain this." A deep breath, her head shaking and her words rushed, fumbling as she looked over at Drack, panic in her bright eyes. "She's - She's fucking _dead_. Dead." Her voice cracked, a sob breaking through. "Everything I have left of her is pictures and videos on my omnitools or my fucking implant or shit left behind in the fucking Milky Way because of stupid fucking weight restrictions! The last thing I have from her is a fucking voicemail she left me before I left for Omega!"

A sob bit her, her words breaking as her voice rose with each word and she curled forward, her hands shaking horribly. "My implant, which is an actual, legitimate thing I can feel and see and know is there, is the only real thing I have left of her, I can't -"  
  
"Kid," his deep voice made her shaky breath leave her, her stomach squeezing and the urge to throw up hitting her hard. "Breathe." His arms squeezed tighter around her and her eyes squeezed shut. "Your mom is always with you, okay? Even if she ain't physically here, I highly doubt she ever left your side." A finger gently tapped her forehead, her head tilting up to look at him through her blurry eyes. "You don't need an implant to know she's with you."  
  
"I - I miss her so fucking much, you have no fucking idea." 

He squeezed her even tighter and she broke, the asari's grip tightening around her as they cocooned the girl in their arms. "I know, kid. I know. We've got you."

* * *

  
Their laced hands idly swung back and forth with each step as they made their way through the booming marketplace on Aya, the happiest, most carefree smile on her face while the angara beside her idly hummed along to a song playing over the speakers. "Didn't you need to speak with the Moshae, babe?" She looked up at him and his humming gradually paused, his lips pursing as he looked down at her with the warmest, sweetest look in his bright blue eyes. She very nearly melted.

"Oh, I do." The happiest smile on his face made her feel all too warm, his hand squeezing hers. "But I need to get something first." He brought her hand to his mouth to press a fluttering kiss across her knuckles as they approached a familiar fruit stall. Her face lit up, her hand falling from his in favor of waving at the merchant. "Hey, Tevitaa!"  
  
"Well, if it isn't the newest face of the Resistance recruitment posters and my favorite human!" The merchant beamed as they came into her sight, quirking a brow up at the angara as he lightly flushed. He shrugged his shoulders all nonchalantly while the girl giggled. "Everyone's been oggling you, you know."

"Oh, I know." Jaal grinned as his free hand started to dig around in his front pockets. Kylie's hand squeezed his shoulder before it fell and she gave the merchant another little wave, taking a few steps away to browse the stall beside them. "I need a parippo, if you don't mind."  
  
"A parippo, huh?" A curious brow quirked up as she turned to her stall and plucked one of the big, yellow fruits up. "What, got a special occasion?" She turned back around and held out her hand, her bright eyes searching his before she realized - "Oh!" A big grin lit up her face as he gave her the pile of credits, passing him the fruit. "Celebrating the posters?"  
  
"No." An all-too-warm smile slowly crawled across his face as his eyes glanced over to his girlfriend idly browsing the stall beside them, her fingers grasping her chin in the cutest way as she stared at one of the weapons on display. His heart felt all too heavy and happy. "It's... Something else. Something better than the posters, truly."  
  
Tevitaa's bright eye slowly followed his gaze and her jaw fell open as she caught sight of the girl, her eyes lighting up as she picked up a weapon. "Oh, how could I forget?" She looked back and smiled so warmly at him, a rush running through his veins. "Say no more!" His face lit up. "Moshae Shefa told me about it before you docked. I'll add in a second parippo for free." She picked up another and he nearly melted.

"Consider it my gift to the two of you. Congratulations, by the way." He grasped the second fruit, balancing them in his arms as she smiled. "She's a good girl. Always stops by when your crew is here to help me out with the rush that comes with her, not to mention that she loves asking me way too many questions." She smirked as she leaned against her stall, pointing her finger at him. "Some specifically about _you_."  
  
"Ha!" He snorted a happy little laugh, the biggest grin on his face as he looked back over at the girl. "I know she is," a blissful sigh left him as he took her in, hesitating as he watched her animatedly talk with the weapon's merchant. She smiled and he nearly melted, even though it wasn't directed to him. _She has the most wonderful smile._ "I've met none else like her, really." He looked back at the angaran woman and the look on her face almost made him feel... Self-conscious. It hit him, then, how vulnerable he felt talking about her.

"Well, I'm glad to see you've moved on past Allia." She said with a soft sigh, toeing the leg of her stall. "I know that one hurt."  
  
"This is..." A soft breath left him, his brows furrowing for the briefest moment at the memory of her face. His head slowly shook at the thought, willing it away. "Different than how I felt for Allia. My feelings for the other was just a crush, I've come to realize." A sigh. "This is... Very different. I am," His brows furrowed as his gaze met the merchant's, his bright blue eyes glancing down at the vibrant fruit in his arms and his heart squeezing painfully in his chest. "In love."  
  
"Aww!" Tevitaa's hand came up and covered her mouth, hiding the biggest smile on her face while the other grasped her stall, pushing up from her leaning position. "I'm glad to hear it. It's about time you've found some joy in your life, honestly." Her lips pursed, shooting him a little glare. "I'm tired of you moping around whenever you get your Vesaal here. Never any fun for us when you're sad."

"Uh, huh." He rolled his eyes indignantly and tilted his head at her, his brows furrowed in the cutest way. "Of course you are. Thanks, Tevitaa." She snorted with laughter as he took a step away from the stall, waving the parippo at her.  
  
Jaal froze in his tracks as he turned around, the flurry of a colorful blur of children rushing by him and surrounding her before he could reach her.

"Oh!" One of them gasped, a small girl, her hands grasping the edge of Kylie's red rofjinn and catching her attention. "I can't believe it!"

The weapon's merchant grinned at the sight, amusement in his eyes as the woman looked entirely confused and startled as the little girl continued with a tug. "It's you!"

"Uh..." Kylie blinked down at the child before she smiled, laughing nervously and glancing around at the kids surrounding her, their chatter loud and distracting. "Yeah. Yeah, it's me." She shrugged nonchalantly and a ripple of laughter surrounded her, the softest red staining her cheeks. Her hands lamely gestured. "You know, your main girl, Kylie."  
  
"Yeah, you're the Pathfinder!" Awe mixed in her soft voice, the girl no taller than Kylie's knees. A plethora of kids oohed and ahhed at her words, their bright eyes twinkling. "I want to be _just_ like you when I grow up." Her small hand squeezed into a fist and she punched the air, pretending as if she were fighting something. "I want the kett to tremble when they see me!"

Kylie bent down and plucked her right up into her arms, biting back the biggest smile as the girl grinned up at her, all nervous and excited with unabashed awe and reverence. "They already _do_ tremble when they see you, cutie." She said, poking the tip of her flat blue nose as her eyes widened in joy, "because you're a badass angaran woman being raised by even more badass angara that don't take no shit from anyone, _especially_ not the kett."  
  
The little girl melted into a little pile of giggles in her arms as more surrounded Kylie's legs, grasping at the edges of her rofjinn and her knees, all begging to be picked up. Jaal chuckled in amusement as he approached them, their chatter dimming down as he came into view and a brow quirked up at her. She flushed, her lips pursing.

"Are you practicing for the near future, dearest?" He cheekily grinned at her as she huffed and looked down at the kids, her eyes softening at the sight of their happy little faces grinning up at her, some staring at the angaran man in absolute awe. Her heart squeezed in her chest and she sighed.

"Maybe," she scoffed after a second, deciding who gets to be lucky and reaching down to pick up another small child, propping the boy up on her hip. His happy laughter made her smile, a strange feeling bubbling in her chest as he fumbled with her thick braids. "I guess." Her shoulders relaxed in defeat, a long sigh leaving her. "They're so cute, Jaal. Like, I can't deal."  
  
"Oh, I know." His heart felt all too heavy in his chest as he took in the sight of her. A kid on both hips, her legs surrounded by happy, bouncing little kids who couldn't seem to stand still, excitement dancing through his veins at the thought - _Our future. A child on every hip, her happy smile, the sound of her sweet voice. I can't wait to start a family with her, I can't wait to grow old with her._  A shaky sigh. _I can't believe she's mine._

"Oh!" The girl in her arms gasped in absolute wonder as she caught the sight of Jaal and broke him from his thoughts, her hands coming up to cover her open mouth. "It's you - You're Jaal Ama Darav!" A soft flush danced across her face and she buried her face into Kylie's neck as he warmly smiled down at her.  
  
A deep, soft chuckle rumbled in his chest. He bent down, maneuvering the parippos into one arm and reaching out, running his free hand from the tip of her small head down to the back, his bioelectric current gentle. Hers responded hesitantly, uncertain. "No need to be shy, sholaon. I am just the same as you."

Her eyes peeked up at him from beside Kylie's umber neck and she nearly sputtered, burying her face further in at his warm, sweet smile.

"Aw, big guy, you're embarrassing her." Kylie shook her head as he laughed happily as he straightened back up, her hand gently patting the girl's small hip. "You're good, kiddo. I promise, he's a little geeky boy and definitely not someone to be flustered by."   
  
"I -" The child stammered in a mess while Jaal indignantly scoffed and huffed. "I..."

"Psst," Kylie leaned in, her voice a stage whisper as her eyes glanced up at the man from under dark, thick eyelashes. "He writes really sappy poetry. Like, a crap ton of it." She burst into sudden laughter while Jaal blanched, his brows furrowing and words sputtering as he shook his head. "I -"

The girl caught a wave of confidence as she calmed down and pulled away from her neck, shyly glancing up at the woman smiling at her. "He..." Her mouth was slightly agape as she tried to find the words, small brows furrowing. "He called you dearest."

Kylie nodded, pressing her lips together in the smile. "Yeah, I'm his dearest and he's my dearest. Um, talshae is the word, right?" She looked to the man and he nodded his head, the happiest smile on his face.

"Oh!" The little girl stared up at them in awe, her bright eyes twinkling. "Wow! I didn't know you were Jaal Ama Darav's _talshae_!" She looked from one to the other before she melted into a big, happy smile. "You two are very cute together." She said as Kylie gently sat the two kids down, the little girl's hands clasping behind her back and the boy whining indignantly at being sat down. "I hope you will be happy together!"

Jaal smiled, all warm and happy as his free arm snaked around Kylie's waist and pulled her against his side, winking down at the little girl as his girlfriend giggled. "I do believe we are extremely happy together, sholaon. Thank you for your good wishes."  
  
Her eyes grew wide as she took in just how short girl was in comparison to the angaran man, her head barely even coming up to the top of his biceps. "You're so short!" She giggled, her hands coming up to cover her mouth again, all shy and bashful. "That's so cute!"

Kylie's eyes widened in indignant shock before her brows furrowed and her lips pursed. "Okay," she incredulously laughed, rolling her eyes, "you're super sweet and I love you, but you're kinda really pushing it now, girl."  
  
The little girl laughed and skipped off, the array of kids following after her as the raven pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm really, honestly, not _that_ short." She said after a moment, looking up at Jaal. He looked away. Her jaw fell open. "Babe." He looked the other way and she almost screamed. " _Jaal_." He looked up, staring at the sky as he bit back a grin. She stomped her foot. "Jellybean?!" 

He looked down at his feet, pointedly avoiding her gaze.

 _"_ _Jaal Ama Darav!"_ A lazy, knowing smirk crawled across his face as he looked back at her and she shot him an incredulous glare, hitting his shoulder. "I'm not _that_ short. Right?" No answer, the man holding back another cheeky grin. She grasped his shoulders, eyes wide. "Right?" He faltered at the desperation in her tone, before bursting into complete and utter laughter. "Oh, my God!" She pushed his shoulders and he stumbled back, his grip tightening on the parippos. "I _hate_ you!"  
  
Jaal's body shook with the last bits of his chuckles as he bent down, his free arm wrapping around her and tugging her back to him when she attempted to storm away from him. "Sure you do," he smirked, kissing the spot just behind her ear that she loves. She sighed, relaxing back into his touch. "I need to go speak with the Moshae, my love. I'll be back, okay?" He pulled away and she turned around, pouting in the cutest way.

"I'll miss you." She sadly sighed, reaching up to cradle his jaw. He leaned into her touch and smiled, a little current tickling her hand.

"I'll be gone only a minute, I promise."  
  
"A minute's still too long." Another wistful, sad sigh. She gave him a little shove, positively pouting. "Better get going before I try to stop you."

* * *

  
"Shit, I mean," the deep, familiar voice made her pause just outside the Tavetaan, her body freezing. "I ain't her actual dad. Though, I guess I'm technically her adoptive dad and she is my baby girl, all things considered."

A hum, the sound of a glass hitting the counter. She peered around the corner and caught the sight of Drack sitting at the bar, his fingers tapping the counter in thought. "Yeah, you got my permission. My blessing, I guess. Shit. Can't believe it." A soft chuckle, his head shaking. "You're cute together and you make her happy. You do anything to change that," his voice grew deep and dangerous, "and I'll fucking skin you alive."  
  
She blinked in surprise. Is he talking to Jaal? If he is, she couldn't hear him through his comms. "Did you ask her brother yet? He's the most important one to ask here, considering the fact that he's actually her goddamn brother." Her dark brows furrowed and the krogan paused, his shoulders tensing, before glancing over at the entrance.

Kylie immediately hid behind the corner, her face flushing deeply as she heard him grumble under his breath. "Listen, I gotta go, kid. I can feel a certain pair of eyes on me. Let me know when it's about to go down and I'll make my way over there, got it?"  
  
_What the fuck is going on?_ She shook her head as she stumbled over a step and started walking away from the Tavetaan, her gaze focused on the ground. _Buying parippo, talking to Drack about... Something._ Her rofjinn wrapped tighter around her, her hands toying with the fabric as she passed by various stalls.

 _Isn't parippo something angara buy when they're celebrating something? What's he celebrating? It isn't our anniversary yet. And we already celebrated our kid, so..._ Her steps came to an abrupt stop as she overheard a couple of angara gossiping beside her, her hand catching the railing by the Resistance Headquarters. "Oh, did you hear? Jaal bought out that beach for the day!"  
  
The other angara gasped in shock, his hand darting up to his mouth. "No way! Do you know how expensive that is?" His brows furrowed in thought. "What's he needing it for, anyway?" A shrug from the first, shaking her head. "I'm not sure. I know the Moshae is extremely excited and Paraan is gathering supplies for... Something big, I believe. I didn't catch what, though."

Their words came to an abrupt stop as they noticed the girl, the third angaran woman hitting their shoulders and pointing at her, her words above a whisper. "Wait, shh! She's right here, you skutts!"  
  
Kylie shot them a wary smile and took off, her hands trembling as her mind raced with every possibility of what could happen. "His blessing," she muttered under her breath to herself, pausing at one of the various sight-seeing points and leaning over the railing, watching the violent storms rage on in the distance. It almost calmed her, ironically. "His blessing for _what_?"  
  
"Darling one," she very nearly jumped off the railing as his soft, deep voice brought her right out of her thoughts. "There you are." She glanced over her shoulder and caught the sight of Jaal, his face utterly relaxed and happy at the sight of her. "I have something I want to show you."

Her hands reached out and grasped his as he approached her, his hands pulling her towards him and into the softest embrace. "It's a surprise, though, so..." He took in a soft breath as he leaned down, kissing her forehead. "You'll need to close your eyes, okay?"  
  
"Um," a nervous giggle, "okay..."

* * *

  
The sweetest scent of a vast variety of flowers hit her senses hard as her steps came to a slow stop, his hands over her eyes and her hands resting over his wrists. "Where - Where are we? 'Cause wherever we are, it smells like we just stepped into a flower shop." Her heart skipped a beat as the scent grew stronger and stronger, the softest, slightly chilly breeze rushing through them. "You know I love flower shops."

"Yes, I know. Why don't you take a look?" Jaal grinned behind her. His hands slowly fell from her eyes to her shoulders, sliding down to her hips as she blinked, forcing her icy eyes to adjust to the sudden onslaught from the brightness of the sun.  
  
Her breath caught in her chest as her eyes squinted before they widened, her hands lamely hanging in the air and her mouth falling open. A vast, beautiful, rushing waterfall stood a few feet away from them that fell into a pool of stark blue water, surrounded by an intricately beautiful rock formation with large, impossibly green alien trees dotting all around them. Flowers of colors she couldn't put names to were almost entirely everywhere, hiding almost every little spurt of green grass.

"Oh," she breathed, her breath leaving her in a rush as she took a few more steps forward. Her hand reached out to touch one of the trees before she bent over, her hand ghosting across one of the flowers. It looked awfully akin to a rose, just... More beautiful with more layers of petals.  
  
"This," his deep voice rumbled behind her, the softest sigh leaving her as he took her hand and helped her stand back up. He led her to the front of the pool, hands intertwined, "is _almost_ my favorite place on Aya."

A trembling hand came up to grasp his other hand, their bodies turning to face each other as they stopped just short of the water, little petals from the flowers flowing through the air and catching on her braids. His heart skipped at how beautiful she looked here, of all places, and all he wanted to do was kiss her. _Incredibly distracting._ "And now with you here, it _is_ my favorite place on Aya."  
  
"Aww!" A deep, warm red danced across her cheeks and she smiled a toothy grin, all too happy as she stared up at him. "You're _so_ sweet, Jaal." She tiptoed to kiss his chin. "Like, I can't even deal with you." He chuckled breathlessly, shaking his head as he brought her hands to his chest, his bioelectricity skipping and her heart faltering in her chest.

"I know, I know." He purred down at her, leaning forward to press a kiss against her forehead. "I do tend to have that effect on you, don't I?" She giggled so happily at him, warmth rushing through his body the longer he watched her.

"My love," his voice nearly trembled as he stared down at her, his bright blue eyes wide and dancing with so much awe, reverence, and love for her, that it made her shiver. "Loving you is..." He looked away for the briefest second, a disbelieving, soft chuckle escaping him as he looked back at her, slightly shaking his head. "Second nature to me, now."

Her icy eyes softened, her throat suddenly feeling all too full. "It feels as though I've known you forever, as if we've been together for as long as I can remember. When I look into your beautiful, breathtaking eyes," his hand reached up to cradle her jaw, his bioelectricity so strong she had to squint her eyes, "I can see... _Everything_. Our future." His grip on her hand tightened. "I can see us together - Going on our crazy adventures, starting a family, settling down, and growing fat and old together."  
  
Her face scrunched up as she airily, nervously laughed, biting her bottom lip. The warmest look danced in his eyes as he beamed down at her. "I can hear your beautiful laugh, the way the softest little snort escapes you before you can help it," her nose scrunched up at him as she shot him a pointed little glare and he laughed. "The way your nose scrunches up when you smile," he softly poked her wide nose and earned a stuttering scoff from her, "and the way your eyes almost twinkle when you get excited."

The hand cradling her jaw gently traced the pattern her freckles made across her face. "I've memorized each and every beautiful freckle that dots your face, every birthmark, and beauty mark." He thumbed the beauty mark just below her mouth to the side of her chin and she sighed, leaning into his touch.  
  
"How excited you get when your favorite television show finally updates or when a new podcast comes out that you've been waiting weeks for, or when I reach a favorite spot of yours in one of your favorite books. I love how effortlessly we fall into a rhythm together, especially when we get ready for bed at night. I will forever adore you and your strange obsession with facial masks." Her smile was enough to melt him, his heart feeling heavy and happy as he spoke, a bubble threatening to burst in his throat.   
  
"I... I can't begin to explain how much love I feel for you. It's... Unreal, truly." The slightest quiver in her full lips nearly made him lose his composure. "I can just picture how our children will look." Awe heavily tugged at his voice, a shaky sigh leaving him before he could help it. "Hopefully, they will take on your beautiful looks, as I fear if they took on mine as well, they would be an unstoppable force."

The briefest pause in his words made her heart skip, a big grin on his face before she laughed, her icy eyes teary. "Actually, I hope they do take on both of our looks and that the galaxy will fall to their knees for them. They'll be _beautiful_ , my love. The kett won't know what hit them, truly."  
  
A trembling hand came up to wipe at her eyes, the girl swallowing thickly as he smiled down at her. "I was never one to believe in such a thing as soulmates, but when I look at you and I feel how I do whenever I see you, I can't help but believe we were truly made for one another." She ever-so-softly gasped and it nearly broke him, her jaw slack and her jaw slightly tensing as she fought back more tears.

"I can't imagine my life without you, where I'd be if you hadn't decided to leave your life in the Milky Way and go on the impossible journey here, if you hadn't crash-landed into my life that day on Aya. I wasn't even supposed to be there, truly, as I was stationed on Voeld but had come to speak with Paraan Shae. I can't help but feel as though some higher force just... Brought us together, knowing that we were perfect for one another and needed one another."  
  
"Jaal," her voice broke despite her desperation to keep herself together, realization hitting her hard. "Oh, my God -" His thumb wiped away a stray tear that escaped her bright eyes before her hand darted up to rub her tears away again, the attempt futile. Another tear followed another, more and more escaping. Her voice cracked in utter disbelief, her throat feeling full. "Are - Are you -" His finger gently pressed against her trembling, full lips, stopping her words.

"Shh," he murmured so softly, slowly kneeling down on one of his knees as his hand moved to dig around in his pockets. That almost broke her, a sudden sob hitting her hard. He pulled out a small, black box, her body uselessly shaking as the grip on her hand tightened, her emotions nearly overwhelming her. "Jaal, oh, my God," her shaky hand fell over her mouth as she bit back another sob.

He slowly opened the box, revealing a beautiful silver ring. The metal was twisted to resemble a flower's leaves, almost, and a circular sapphire gem was nestled in the center, white gems dotted along the leaves' veins. "I can't imagine my life without you, my Kylie Ryder. I am in complete and utter love with you, despite everything that we've been through, despite our love existing against all of the odds and I..."

Jaal's deep voice broke as more tears rolled down her cheeks and he cleared his throat, holding up the small box and looking up at her with so much love, so much adoration that it just  _hurt_. "I would be incredibly honored if... If you would marry me."  
  
Her chest positively ached, her emotions too much as he smiled so warmly up at her, his voice trembling. "Will you give me the honor of marrying you?"


	24. i found religion in your eyes

"Oh -" The gasp that came from her was way too harsh, her chest heaving and her lip quivering as she very nearly melted in her spot, "oh, my _fucking_ God -" Her hands trembled as she gently unlaced her hand from his and grasped his jaw, pulling him up into a frantic, deep kiss. "Yes," Kylie pulled back, her gaze catching his and her heart nearly stopping at just how happy he looked, how overwhelmed with joy he looked.

"A _thousand_ fucking times," each word punctuated by a kiss, her hands trembling against his jaw as his expression melted into utter adoration for her, "yes, yes, _yes_ -"  
  
"Yes!" Jaal's happy laughter flooded her senses as his arms wrapped around her waist and hefted her up, spinning her in a happy circle as her trembling arms wrapped themselves around his neck as tightly as she possibly could, her legs desperately wrapping around his torso. "My love," he chuckled so happily, disbelief pulling at the edges of his deep voice.

"I..." She buried her face into the nook of his neck and muffled a sob into his shoulder, her chest heavy with way, _way_  too many happy emotions. His deep voice was heavy with so much emotion, his words slightly trembling and only making her feel even more overwhelmed. "I truly am the luckiest man in this entire galaxy."  
  
Kylie pulled back, her hands hesitating on his shoulders as their gaze met and she finally felt it. _This... This is it._

That moment where you realize, _this_ is where you're supposed to be. _This_ is where you're needed, _this_ is the person made for you, _this_ is exactly who you know you're supposed to love and be with for the rest of your life, _this_ is the person to ground you and keep you sane. She's finally found him. Her soulmate. _It only took 634 years._ "I love you," her voice wavered as he gently slid the ring on her ring finger, her eyes tearing up even more at the sight. "So, so much."  
  
"I love you impossibly more," he purred up at her, his voice rumbling in his chest and sending a rush up her spine. He captured her in a sweet kiss before he happily sighed, gently lowering her to the ground. "I," he cleared his throat, his hands gently running down the curve of her twin braids, "I do believe my family is eagerly waiting for us, my love."  
  
"Your family?" Her eyes shot wide open before she melted into a big, happy grin. "No way, they're here?!" Her jaw dropped in disbelief and he smiled, grasping her hands and brushing his thumbs over hers. "Oh, yes. I managed to get them a temporary Vesaal for our home here. For us to celebrate," his forehead pressed against hers. "You know."  
  
She laughed hard when the realization hit her, her hands squeezing his as he smiled down at her, his pupils blown. "So _that's_ why you got all those parippos. I was wondering what the fuck you were doing, babe." He positively beamed, the happiest smile on his face as he grasped her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Ha! They're obsessed with parippos and I was afraid that if we did not get any, there would be riots."

* * *

  
Kylie couldn't stop staring at the ring on her hand as the shuttle trembled and creaked to the side, their bodies bumping into each other's and causing her to glance up at him. Jaal had the happiest smile on his face as he watched her - Actually, his smile hasn't ever left his face since she said _yes_. "I have a question, babe." His gaze met hers as his hand came up to rest over hers, squeezing it so softly. His bioelectricity sent a wave of goosebumps up her arm. "Anything for you, my love."  
  
"Aren't angaran weddings different from humans? I mean, do you guys really do engagement rings and the likes, too?" He hummed at her question, leaning back and letting go of her hand in favor of resting his arm across her shoulders, squeezing her against him. "They're... Similar in the sense of the action, but instead of a ring, we tie a red string around our second fingers." His finger tapped her shoulder as he spoke. "Symbolizes our trust and connection, our bond." She stared down at the ring and her heart dropped. "Oh."  
  
"Then when the actual wedding ceremony happens, we sing a traditional bonding song as we pull the strings apart, symbolizing our trust and love for each other that cannot be undone by any other, only ourselves." Her hand started to tremble as she looked back up at him, a slight sinking feeling in her heart. _He didn't have to change what he knows for me. Fuck._ "You know," her voice wavered and she felt... Sad. "You didn't have to go and get me a ring. I would've been happy with a string, too. I'm not materialistic and I would've loved to -"  
  
His soft laugh made her pause, her heart skipping as beat as he squeezed her against him and pressed a kiss in between her twin braids, her heart skipping another beat. "Honestly? I prefer it this way. A ring is a more stable sense of showing that you are connected to someone in comparison to a string that is taken off the day of the wedding."  
  
"Are you sure?" She sighed so softly, her eyes staring down at their laps. His fingers ghosted under her chin and gently grasped it, tilting her head up to look at him. The happiest look mixed with adoration for her danced in his bright blue eyes and made her feel weak. "I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life."  
  
_Oh._ A sigh of relief escaped her, her body relaxing against his touch even more as the shuttle slowly came to a stop. "Are we here?" She looked over at the pilot and the angara grinned back at them. "Yep, we're here. Have fun, you two lovebirds." He cheekily grinned down at her as she grasped his arm and stood, their arms linking before they briefly pulled apart so he could help her out of the shuttle, only to lace together again as they started to walk and fall into sync.  
  
The area they came up to looked alike to the marketplace on Aya, except homes filled where the stalls would've been, stacked beside each other and linked in some way. Bountiful amounts of angara boomed about as they started to walk down the alleyway, waving at the two and shouting their congratulations at them as they passed by. She felt so overwhelmed with everything, the happiest feeling bubbling in her chest and making her heart feel heavy.

"It's about time the two of you finally bonded," a familiar voice quipped up beside them, their steps falling in line. "Figured I was going to be old and wrinkly before that ever happened." Kylie looked over and grinned at the sight of Teviint, the happiest smile on her face. "Don't think I ever apologized to you for spitting in your face that day." Her hand met her shoulder, an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry, my sister."  
  
"Oh, it's no biggie, honestly." Her grip on Jaal's arm tightened as he breathlessly chuckled, her shoulders idly shrugging. "I mean, everything was tense that day." A dark brow quirked up at the angaran woman as she nodded her head in agreement, a smirk on her face. "Y'know, with the bombs around the corner about to go off and all. Like, _I_ even wanted to spit in my own face."  
  
"Ha!" Teviint's hand clapped her leg, a familiar booming laugh coming from her. _That's just like Jaal's. No wonder they're family._ "You talk just like your brother. It's _adorable_." Kylie's brows indignantly furrowed and she pouted up at the woman as they turned a corner. "You talk just like Jaal, too!"  
  
"I would hope so!" The angaran woman grinned as she pushed some low-hanging vines out of the way, allowing the other two to duck through as they came up to the entrance of a house covered in as many flowers and stringed lights as possible. It stood out greatly from every other house, all colorful and bright. "Oh," Kylie sounded all too breathless as she took in the sight. "It looks just like your guys' house back on Havarl."  
  
"That was the goal, my love." Jaal smiled, gently ushering her up to the door and tapping the sequence for it into his omnitool. "Houses on Aya are too.. Sparse, in my opinion." Teviint hummed in agreement, her hands landing on her hips. "So," the doors hissed open and the three took a step inside, "we took the liberty of redecorating it ourselves."  
  
An array of voices inside slowly faltered as their heads snapped over, excitement and joy bursting into the living room in a big, happy rush as the angara inside swarmed at them. "I can't believe it!" Baranjj beamed as he clapped the girl's back, her wincing from the hit. "Had a feeling you two would end up together some day." He leaned down to look at the short girl, a twinkle in his eyes. "I could totally see the connection between you two back on Havarl."  
  
Jaal cleared his throat, his brows furrowing and his lips pursing at his brother as he caught his attention. "Baranjj -" A slow grin crawled across his brother's face, the man waggling his brows at Kylie as he leaned even closer to her. Mischief danced in his eyes and Jaal blanched. "He's sent me _so_ many emails about you, you know. Some including some rather... Adorable poetry, really." A wink, a shit-eating grin on the girl's face at his words, "I'll show you them later, when you're free."  
  
"Baranjj!" He positively pouted at his brother before the man laughed and took off, Lathoul's arm wrapping around the girl as soon as their vast array of aunts released her from their near death-grip of a hug. "I'm excited for the two of you. What do your people call bonding?"  
  
"Uh," Kylie took in a steadying deep breath, trying to ignore her aching ribcage. "We call it getting engaged." She slowly nodded her head, her free hand rubbing at the side of her torso. "Engagement, I guess. So," she pointed at her soon-to-be husband then to herself as she spoke, "he's my fiancé and I'm his fiancée." The man slowly grinned, wonder dancing in his eyes. "Oh, wow. That's such a lovely word -"  
  
"Excuse me!" Sahuna's voice echoed through the room as she pushed her way between the sea of her family, trudging up to the girl and grasping her arms. "I'd like to spend some time with my daughter, if you wouldn't mind. We have quite a bit of catching up to do, you know!"

Lathoul rolled his eyes and released the girl from her grasp as Sahuna pulled her into a tight hug, the happiest smile on her face as she caught Jaal's gaze, his eyes dancing with so much emotion. "I'm so impossibly happy that you're officially becoming a part of the family." She leaned in, her words a stage whisper as she glanced up at Jaal. "I always had a feeling you two would end up getting married. You're all he talks about anymore." He nearly melted in embarrassment and the girl laughed.

"Anyways, I've missed you!" Her arms squeezed the girl for emphasis. "You've been too busy lately to come to Havarl for our usual tea times together. Which I understand, but still."

Kylie wistfully sighed. "I know! I'm so sorry." Her arms loosely hung around the woman's shoulders. _She reminds me of my own mom. Jesus, I miss her. A lot. Especially right now._ Grief nearly grabbed ahold of her before she took in a deep breath, her grip faltering. "At least we were able to set up our little private comm channel." She breathlessly chuckled, shaking her head. "Think I'd go crazy without being able to talk to you, Mom."  
  
Her eyes flickered up to catch Jaal's gaze and he winked at her, the girl almost melting in his mother's arms. "I agree," the woman said, gently pulling away from her. Her bright blue eyes slowly took in her face before her gaze slowly traveled down to her shoulders, landing on her stomach. "Jaal has also told me the two of you are expecting." She couldn't stop smiling as her hands gently rested over her stomach, her bioelectricity tickling her stomach before the girl felt a strange connection.

Kylie nearly jumped from the spark, her dark brows furrowing. "What...?"  
  
"I can feel it's bioelectric signature. Oh, Kylie," Sahuna sounded breathless as she all but beamed and she pressed her forehead to hers, her bright eyes brimming with so much joy, "I simply cannot wait to be a grandmother." She swallowed thickly, her bright eyes searching Kylie's. "Especially to such a special child as yours will no doubt be." She took in a deep, steadying breath as the girl's eyes slowly swelled with tears.

"Jaal, my darling son," she looked up at the man beside them and he warmly smiled at her. "I'm afraid I must steal your talshae for quite awhile, as I do believe it's time she met your other mothers, yes?"   
  
Kylie blinked away her tears, wiping at her eyes as she looked over at the man. He wistfully sighed, leaning down to grasp the girl's jaw and pull her into a soft kiss. "I suppose," he pouted against her lips before a shit-eating smirk crawled across his lips, mischief twinkling in his bright eyes. "If you absolutely must, but first..." He kissed her again and again - and again and again and again, her face slowly turning a deep shade of red the more times he kissed her before she laughed into another kiss and pushed him away, shooting him a playful glare.

"Chill it, lover boy! We're in front of our _mom._ " She pouted up at him and he cheekily grinned before they finally looked over at the angaran woman and found her positively beaming with joy, her hands clasped in front of her at the sight. "Oh, do continue! I don't mind, truly." She only blushed even more furiously at her words, his arms grasping her waist and pulling her against him, a smug look on his face as she held him away. "You two are positively adorable and I'm a _very_ happy mother."

* * *

   
"Oh!" Agwana gasped as the two came into her sight, her hand darting up to cover her mouth as Sahuna guided the girl over to the table. It had an elegant layout of various angaran foods scattered about with many vases filled with flowers atop it, looking almost too pretty for her to even touch it. "It's you!" Her pink face lit up with a big, happy grin as she rushed around the table to pull the girl into a hug while Sahuna took her seat. "I'm so honored to finally meet you, my dear. I've only been waiting for months!"  
  
"Aww." Kylie melted into laughter, her eyes darting around the table and taking in the sight of three more angaran women, smiles lighting up all of their faces. Her heart squeezed in her chest. "I'm Agwana, Baranjj's true mother." She turned, pointing to a more pinkish woman, her face dotted with the brightest purple freckles. "That is Alvita, Teviint's true mother."

Her finger pointed to the woman beside her who looked awfully alike to Jaal and Sahuna, "that is Kiyana, Sahuna's sister." Her finger trailed to the last woman, her skin a beautiful light green with almost white freckles. "And that is Ladona, Lathoul's true mother."  
  
"It's so nice to finally meet all of you," the raven slowly looked from one to the other, the happiest smile on her face. "Sorry if I seem kinda... Overwhelmed, I guess?" She said as she sat between Sahuna and Kiyana, her fingers toying in her lap. "I mean, humans have really tiny families. I only have a twin brother and both my parents are dead, so." She nervously laughed, her eyes darting down to stare at the plates on the table.  
  
"Well," Ladona started, leaning forward on her elbows and grinning at her as she caught her attention, "consider all of us your parents now. In my opinion," she leaned back, folding her arms across her chest while Kiyana reached for something on the table, "ever since you and Jaal became a couple, you were officially a part of our family." She shook her head as she giggled. "It takes a special person to capture that boy's heart, I swear."  
  
"It's true," Kiyana grinned as she bit into a cracker with nutrient paste spread on it, her brow quirking up at the girl as she shot her a _very_ curious look. "Ever since he was a child, he never really connected with anyone. He liked this boy for awhile when he was a teenager, but nothing happened. Then, there was that Allia girl, but even then, he told me that was only a fascination with her and nothing more."  
  
Ladona scoffed, Kylie's heart flipping in her chest as the woman started, reaching for a slice of fruit. "I'll never understand why he liked that girl in the first place. She did nothing other than dig in the dirt and obsess over bugs all day. I mean, perhaps it's not all too different from you and your Remnant bit, but yours is understandable."

Kiyana idly shrugged, rolling her eyes before she turned her attention back over to the girl, a slow grin crawling across her face as she swallowed her bite. "You know, the moment Jaal joined your crew, he sent us daily updates of what he thought of you. I thought it was adorable, honestly, because maybe a week in I could already tell that he liked you."  
  
"Really?" A disbelieving breath escaped her, her brows slightly furrowing as she looked around at them. "Oh, you have no idea, my love." Sahuna snorted, holding back a laugh as her hand met Kylie's shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. "I could definitely tell, too. Here, let me show you." Her fingers tapped at her wrist and turned on her angaran equivalent to an omnitool, tapping at the blue screen and scrolling down the orb until it stopped.

 

> _My Dearest Mother,_  
>    
>  _Before I say anything, I must tell you that I've missed you greatly. It's awfully strange being on this ship. It's loud sometimes, just like home. Except... Different. I cannot put my finger on what is different about it, but I do believe that I like it._  
>    
>  _I have to admit, I was not expecting to understand or even come to like this... Alien. The way her and her crew talk is very... Jarring, truly, with all of their strange idioms and the likes. The alien - Her name is Kylie Ryder. It's... A beautiful name, if I were to be honest. There's something about it that just rolls off of my tongue._

Sahuna's brow quirked up as the girl flushed deeply, an uncontrollable, cheesy grin on her face. "That, right there, is when I believe he started to fall in love with you."

 

> _Not that I call her by her true name, anyways. I don't want her to get the wrong idea of why I joined her crew, so I suppose I'll be sticking with calling her Ryder. It's a shame, really. I do not believe I have ever met someone named Kylie. She taught me an idiom last night while I was tinkering with my gun. She called it, 'chickening out'. It means to be scared to do something and decide not to do it at the very last moment. Fascinating, yes?_  
>    
>  _It's strange. She enjoys sitting with me in my techlab while I mess around with my guns, even though we barely speak to each other. She said it's not so much about talking as it is more about being able to sit in an enjoyable silence together. I suppose I can understand that; Her life does tend to be a bit hectic, so she no doubt enjoys any silence she can get._

Her face was turning even redder every second.

 

> _She also told me about these strange things called 'gummy bears'. She described them as a chewy, sweet-like candy that humans eat that are made in the image of an animal back from her home planet, Earth. Humans are very weird._  
>    
>  _Whenever she talks about the Milky Way, she gets... Sad. I'm not sure why, but I don't like it when she's sad. It's difficult to look at. Her lip does this thing where it trembles ever so slightly and it makes me want to... I don't know. I don't want to talk about this, actually._  
>    
>  _Anyways, another thing she has been doing is inviting me to their nightly dinners together in the ship's galley. That reminds me very much of home, though their food is very jarring to look at. One of them, a turian named Vetra, I believe, eats something different than the rest because her body cannot process it. You would very much like Kylie if you were to meet her, Mother. She loves to cook. There's a sparkle in her eye when she does, even if she ends up burning it. I still eat it, anyways._  
>    
>  _I suppose I've rambled on enough. I'll talk to you later._  
>    
>  _Much love from your dearest son and thinking of you always,_  
>  _Jaal_

"Oh, my God. You're shitting me." Kylie literally couldn't stop smiling, her hand darting up to cover her big grin as she looked down at the table, her cheeks positively burning and her heart feeling full and happy. "He's so cute, I swear." She looked up at Sahuna, slowly shaking her head. "Like, so cute that I can't deal with him most days because he's just so sweet."

"I don't doubt that!" Alvita shook her head, spreading some nutrient paste over a slice of bread and raising it at the girl as she spoke. "He's a sweet boy, really. He would always put others ahead of himself, even if they told him not to." She took a bite before she paused, swallowing it and smiling. "You really seem to have helped him grow into his own skin, helped him grow a little more confident in himself."

Her icy blue eyes stared down at the array of food on the table, taking in each plate as she tried to figure out what exactly she could eat. "I have?" Her breath hitched as she processed her words, her hand twisting in her lap as she glanced up, a soft breath leaving her. "That's... Crazy. I can't believe it, honestly. He always seemed like this super confident guy to me, at least before we were in a relationship, I guess."

Sahuna's hand met her lower back and she looked over at her, a soft smile on her face. "Before he went on your ship, he was extremely frustrated about his life and the direction he was heading to in general." She grasped a strange slice of fruit and offered it to the girl, nodding her head at it. "This is a parippo. I don't know if you've tried them, but they're lovely. One of Jaal's favorite fruits."

She took it, staring down at it before she took a small bite. Sahuna continued. "Anyways, I can't count the number of times he's actually cried to me, saying he's not too sure if he fits in anywhere. After he joined you, I stopped getting any and every email and call about such the thing. He's really, truly happy."  
  
"I - I'm glad, honestly." Kylie swallowed the piece of fruit, staring down at it and tapping it with her thumb. "I'm honestly so grateful for him, you don't even know." A small, knowing grin danced across the woman's face.

"Oh, I do know. Remember our first little tea time together, right after you and Jaal became a couple?" She paused, her heart squeezing in her chest at the thought. "Yeah," the girl said breathlessly, a sigh leaving her as the woman continued. "I remember looking into your eyes and seeing someone who was just... Sad. Like you didn't have the will to live or go on anymore."

Tears bit at the corner of her eyes and she desperately blinked them away, trying to hold herself together. "You're a different person now." That almost broke her, a shaky breath leaving her as the woman's hand rubbed a soft circle on her back. "More confident, happy. If I dare say, it's almost like you've been born again. You have this fire in your eyes that I saw dimmed back then, held back, almost, but now it's burning passionately and freely."  
  
"Could also just be the pregnancy glow," Agwana quipped from her spot, pointing her spoon filled with icing at them. "You know how that is."  
  
"Shush, Agwana!" Sahuna sighed irritably, shooting the woman a pointed glare. "I suppose what I'm trying to say is that," she reached up and brushed her hand over the girl's temple, smiling so sweetly as she looked back at her, "I'm proud of you and the person that you've become. I feel as if I've just watched my own daughter grow up right before my own eyes."  
  
"Oh," her voice trembled as her hand darted up to rub away a sudden tear that tried to escape. She furiously blinked her tears away, taking in a shaky breath as she smiled up at the woman. "I - I don't - I don't deserve - You're so -"  
  
"Yes, you do, my love." She squeezed her into a soft side hug, rubbing her shoulder. "And much more. Now," her wrist flicked up as she leaned back, tapping at the orb. "Let's get to viewing some of Jaal's baby pictures, yes?" Kiyana burst into laughter at the woman's cheeky grin and Kylie's shocked yet suddenly eager expression, her hand slamming on the table. "Don't forget the video where he was stumbling around in diapers after learning his first curse word, too!"

Kiyana burst into laughter at the woman's cheeky grin and Kylie's shocked yet suddenly eager expression, her hand slamming on the table. "Don't forget the video where he was stumbling around in diapers after learning his first curse word, too!"

* * *

  
"So, have you two decided on names yet?" Lexi's soft voice broke her out of her near-trance from her spot at the Tavetaan, her icy eyes glancing up to find her smiling ever so warmly down at her. "Um, we have, actually." The asari sat down on the chair beside her, looking at her with the softest look. _My girl's all grown up, I suppose._ "What are they?"  
  
"I told him I wanted to stick with like," her fingers toyed with her glass, "traditional angara names with maybe a mix of some human in them, you know?" Kylie smiled ever so softly, staring down at her drink. "Kinda like a mash up, like they'll be. So, if it's a girl, Sadhaana. Jaal _loves_ saying her name, like he literally wouldn't stop after we came up with it." She looked over at Lexi, a soft grin on her face. "I'll call her Hannah, though."

Her fingers thumbed at the edge of her rofjinn as the slightest bump on her stomach caught her gaze. _Still couldn't believe it._ "And if it's a guy, Virohaan. And we'll call him Han." Lexi softly chuckled as the girl let out the softest sigh. "So, Hannah and Han."  
  
The two sat in amicable silence for a moment, their eyes watching the various array of their crew scattered around the Tavetaan. A beat passed before Kylie caught the slightest bit of confidence to speak, her knuckles tapping the counter. "I didn't want to have a kid, you know. I was scared that I'll fuck them up because of my mental illness, but I guess... I guess if I have you guys around, I won't do too much damage."  
  
"You won't damage them at all, Kylie, even if we weren't around." Her hand landed on the girl's shoulder and she sighed ever so softly at the touch, her throat feeling full. "Without a doubt in my mind, you'll be an _amazing_ mom. And Jaal will be an amazing dad." The asari's hand slowly trailed down her arm and grasped her hand, giving it the softest squeeze. "You'll both be amazing parents with the love between you two, honestly."  
  
Silence fell between the two once more, their eyes darting from various people to another. Drack waved at them from his spot beside Jaal across from them, his arm squeezed around the angara's waist so hard, he winced in pain as he winked at Kylie.

Lexi laughed, gently nudging the girl's side and pointing the two out and she grinned from ear to ear. The asari glanced over at her, a strange feeling in her chest. "Do you remember back when I first told you that Sam was now a part of you?"  
  
"Yeah," she said softly, her eyes lowering to stare at the floor. "And I told you to kill me."  
  
"You've come such a long way from then, Kylie." Her hands grasped hers and she looked up into her eyes, tears pricking the edges of her icy vision as she caught her gaze. "You've grown so much, both as a person and as a Pathfinder." The smile on the asari's face was enough to make her break. "I'm proud of you. You know that, right?"  
  
"Yeah, Mom." A sniffle, her composure faltering. "I do."  
  
_"Hey,"_ a voice starting up from her omnitool made her freeze, their eyes glancing down at her wrist. Worry bit her heart, her mind immediately going to the worst place.  _"I don't..."_

 _"_ _I don't mean to startle you or anything like that, but we were going through some of the pods in cryo, taking account of people and making sure nothing happened during their sleep. I..."_ Harry hesitated, her brows furrowing at the suspense. _"I found your mom in one of them. Alive, but asleep."_  
  
Kylie's wide eyes snapped up and caught the asari's gaze, shock in her icy eyes as her trembling jaw fell open. Tears immediately pricked at the corner of her eyes, her heart seizing in her chest as an incredibly shaky hand reached up to touch her lips. "Wh... What?" Her breath hitched and her heart stopped. _"Your mom's alive, Kylie. Janelle's... Janelle's not dead."_


	25. love.

"This..." Kylie let out a soft, shaky breath as she leaned over the back of the couch. "This is the longest fucking jump I've ever experienced in my whole entire fucking life." Her hand trembled as she squeezed his ever-so-tightly, her breath caught as she watched the pockets of space move around their ship through the vast window in the meeting room. "Like, why does space travel take so fucking long?" She looked over at him, shaking her head in irritation. "It's been _six hundred years_ , dude. We should be, like, teleported there. I hate this. So. Fucking. Much."  
  
"I know," Jaal said softly from his spot beside her, his free hand tracing its fingertips along the softest pattern over her lower back. His bioelectricity tickled her skin, attempting to calm her frazzled nerves. "It's actually the shortest, I believe, from Aya to the Nexus. But, because you are excited, it feels like forever." She irritably sighed before her body fell back, twisting around to sit beside him. "And impatient, because you want to see your mother already."  
  
"It's only been hundreds of years since you've last seen her." His deep voice made her want to just lose herself, her eyes falling shut for the briefest moment. "Yeah," she sighed, looking up at him. "I'm going to cry my eyes out if I don't hug her like, right fucking now." He warmly smiled down at her, his hand gently coming up to cradle her jaw. "I may not be your mother, but I am a _very_ good hugger, you know."  
  
"Oh, you big teddy." She softly laughed, throwing herself at him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I know, you big, pink teddy bear." His arms wrapped around her waist and squeezed her against him, his bioelectricity making her nerves slowly calm down. "I love you so much, babe."  
  
_"Ryder,"_ Kallo's voice made them freeze, her heart skipping a beat and his bioelectricity spiking for the briefest second. _"We're at the Nexus, docking just now. Harry said that he'll be waiting for you at our ramp to take you to the medbay."_ She caught Jaal's gaze and her heart nearly stopped. He nodded his head and stood, taking her hand. "Let's go, my love."

* * *

  
Her surroundings melted into a hazy fuzz as the tram doors hissed open, her mind barely registering their feet moving before she burst into a sprint down the stairs, leaving Harry and Jaal behind in a rush. "Oh -" The doors hissed open and her heart lurched, the back of her wrist pressing against her mouth to hold back tears at the sight of her as she choked back a harsh sob. "Oh, my God -"  
  
Janelle glanced up from the bed, her bright, icy eyes sodden and tired as she took in the sight of her daughter flying through the doors. "Oh, my God." Her mouth fell open in surprise as the girl skidded to a sudden stop at the side of the bed, her body tense. "Mom -"  
  
"Janey?" The woman's voice cracked from misuse, her arms reaching out to catch her as the girl broke down and melted onto her knees on the bed, falling right into her arms. "Oh, my fucking God," her arms wrapped so tightly around her mother as a sob ripped through her, her chest heaving at the feeling of her beneath her as she grabbed her shoulders _so_ tightly. "Oh, my God. You're _real_."  
  
_She's real. She's alive. She's alive and breathing and here with me and not dead and I have no fucking idea what's going on, why is she here? She died back on the Citadel. She's dead. I heard the monitor. I heard her last breath. I've gotta be hallucinating. This - No, she's - This isn't real -_  
  
"Oh, Janey-bug." Her fingers gently carded through the girl's coiled hair and she broke.  _She's real._  "Shh, my baby girl," Janelle's voice was all too soothing as she totally relaxed in her arms, her nails digging harshly into her shoulders and her face buried in her neck. "Shhh," her fingers trailed down to her back as the girl pulled away, her hands grasping her shoulders _so_ hard, her eyes wide and frantic and her lip quivering - "It's okay, love. I'm right here."  
  
"You are." She was breathless, her breathing all too harsh and uneven. Her icy blue eyes roamed over her face, taking in her umber skin, the same beauty mark dotted beneath her right eye and beside her mouth. The freckles she spent ages counting as a girl were still scattered across her nose and her laugh lines, her heart nearly stopping in her chest as she committed every feature and mark to memory. "But... I-I..."  
  
"But how?" Kylie's voice cracked and she cleared her throat, swallowing thickly as she tried to keep herself together. "You died, mom. On... On the Citadel. I - I watched you t-take -" She gasped back a sob as she shook her head and pressed the back of her hand against her mouth, her face contorted in grief and her words muffled. "I - I watched -"  
  
"Jane..." Janelle caught the girl's wrist as her voice trailed off, her dark brows furrowing in the briefest hint of confusion before she pulled the girl's hand back and held it up, pointing to the ring nestled on her ring finger. "Um, hold up." She softly laughed, the noise hoarse and trembling. "Before I start crying because I have a feeling I know what this is, care to explain?"  
  
"Explain what?" She stared down at her hand for the longest moment before she caught the sight of her engagement ring and gasped, a sharp, shaky laugh hitting her as she pulled her hand back and thumbed over the ring. "Oh, my God. I can't - Mom," she shook her head as she stood up, taking a few stumblings steps behind her to grab the angara that stood awkwardly in the doorway. "This is crazy. Like, this is so long overdue and ridiculous I can't -"  
  
"Darling one," Jaal started softly, his brows furrowed. "Are you sure that -" Kylie nodded her head as she grasped his hand and gently pulled him towards her. His bioelectricity skipped against her hand and she glanced back at him, her brows furrowing in worry. "What?" He flushed the deepest purple, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck as he stammered. "Oh! Are you nervous to meet her, babe?" She grasped his other hand and chuckled. "Dude. Jellybean. Jaal, she'll -"  
  
"I..." He cleared his throat, glaring down at their feet and squeezing her hands. "What if she doesn't like me, my love?" His voice wavered as he brought their hands up to his chest, looking back up at her with the saddest eyes. Her heart skipped in her chest. "She's never seen an angara before, darling one. She's only just woken up, in a strange new galaxy and after having been _dead_. What if - What if she -"  
  
"Jaal!" The biggest smile danced across her teary face as she shook her head and pressed her finger against his lips, effectively shushing him and pulling him down into the softest kiss. "She'll love you, are you kidding me? Like," she pulled back, her hands cradling his jaw and her thumbs tracing a soft pattern over his cheeks as he softly smiled at her. "If I love you as much as I do," she gently grasped his hands and tugged him with her, shooting him a cheeky grin over her shoulder, "which I _do_ , she's gonna love you _even more_." She sniffled as it hit her again, rubbing at her watery eyes as she fought back her tears. "I feel so overwhelmed right now."  
  
"Holy shit. Mom," her voice trembled as she brought him to the side of her bed, her hand trembling as she held his. "You're so not gonna believe this, but this is my..." She looked up at him, her heart feeling all too full as he smiled so warmly down at her mother and her words leaving completely her at the sight. "M-My..."  
  
"Her fiancé." Jaal smiled so sweetly at the woman, his bright eyes soft as he took a step forward. "I'm Jaal Ama Darav," he held out his free hand towards her and knelt down to be at her level, "and I am so, so incredibly humbled and honored to finally meet you, my dearest Mother. I have heard so much about you from your lovely daughter and I had always truly hoped that I would be able to meet you."  
  
"Fiancé?" Janelle's jaw fell open as she took in the sight of him, wonder on her face as he nodded. "Oh, well," her hand gently took his and he brought hers up to his mouth, gently pressing a kiss to her knuckles as she nervously laughed. "Ha, wow. You're a handsome guy. I can see why Jane fell in love with you. Always had a soft spot for those teddy bear guys and girls." She laughed as Kylie blushed, scuffing her shoe on the floor. "Um, I don't mean to sound... Rude or anything of that nature, but what species are you?"  
  
"I am an angara." He softly chuckled, giving her hand a squeeze. "We are a species native to Heleus." Her hand fell from his and he hesitated, staring down at the bed before Janelle quirked up a brow and grinned, patting the bed. "Take a seat," she pointed from one to the other, "the both of you. I need to hear _anything_ and _everything_." She reached for Kylie's hand as they sat down. "It's not easy to catch my baby girl's heart just like that."  
  
"Oh, I know." Jaal haughtily laughed, the noise making the girl feel all too happy as her finger thumbed over her mother's hand and she swallowed thickly. _My two favorite people in the entire world, in the same room. I didn't think this would ever happen._  "Trust me," he elbowed the girl's side and she sputtered into the cutest, snorty laugh, the happiest smile on his face. "She gave me quite the bit of trouble when I was trying to..." He hesitated, his fingers curling in air-quotes. "Woo her, I suppose."  
  
" _Woo_ me?!" Kylie fully burst into laughter, curling over against her mom's arm as the woman softly laughed. "Okay, who taught you that one? 'Cause I needa thank them." She grinned, glancing back at the angara who softly flushed, a lazy smirk on his face. "Our brother did, my darling one. He told me that you used to always use that word when you were teenagers and that it drove him _insane._ "  
  
"Ha!" Janelle rolled her eyes. "James always did love to teach. And what was that little..." She snapped her fingers as she pursed her lips, looking to the girl for help finding the word. Kylie shrugged and she irritably sighed, shooting her a glare before her eyebrows popped up. "Oh! That electric, tingly feeling you gave me when you held my hand?"  
  
"Ah." He grinned, holding out his hand. "That was my bioelectricity." She took his hand and he allowed a particularly strong current to dance from his fingertips to hers. She gasped as her hand twitched and pulled away, staring down at her numb hand. "All angara have such. We use it to communicate with each other in a way that humans cannot. It also aids in our healing and overall health."  
  
"Yeah," Kylie nodded her head, awe in her blue eyes as she squeezed her mother's hand, "it's _so_ cool! They also get this super unique signature for their romantic partners and he showed me the one he has for me. It's wickedly crazy, I love it." Janelle cheekily grinned, softly squeezing her hand. "I bet that's nice in bed."  
  
_"Mom!"_  
  
Jaal burst into laughter as the woman snorted back a laugh. "I'm just saying, Janey-bug." He fell back onto the woman's legs and grasped his stomach, desperately trying to pull himself back together, only to completely and utterly melt back into full-bodied laughter as he caught the sight of just how red the girl's face was. "Wow, thanks a lot!"  
  
"Oh, you're welcome." Her eyes slowly trailed over the girl's body before they landed on her stomach, the slightest bump on it causing her grin to falter and earning a gasp from her, her eyes widening. "Jane?" Kylie looked over at her, the woman's eyes wide as her hand fell from hers and landed on her stomach. "Are you...?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm pregnant." Janelle gasped again, tears pricking the corner of her eyes as she caught her gaze. "It's his kid?" She looked over at the man in wonder as he sat up. "Oh, my God - Yes, Mom!" The girl groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Like, we're kinda... You know." Her hand darted up, wiggling her ring finger at her. "Kinda really serious, so we, no doubt, kinda wanna start a family."  
  
"Wow." She let out a sharp breath, shifting around in her bed to fully sit up. "That's... Crazy, Janey. That's a lot to wake up to, for real. I can't believe it." She airily laughed. "I'm gonna be a grandmama. I can't believe you two can have kids, even. Didn't seem like it was biologically possible just looking at the two of you."  
  
"I know! I couldn't believe it either. Turns out my contraceptive receptors got a lil outta whack back when I died back on the Archon's Flagship and, well, you know. That's when we, you know." She rolled her eyes. "You know." Janelle's eyes suspiciously narrowed. "Back when you _what_ on the _what_? You _what_?" Her brows furrowed as she sputtered, fervently shaking her head. "What?! Janelle Ryder -"  
  
"Now you've done it." Jaal grinned up at her, grasping her hand and squeezing it. She sighed. _Loudly_. "Aw, shit. Okay, let me just -"  
  
"Kylie," Harry's voice stopped them in their tracks, her smile falling as she looked up at him. "I need to talk to you about your mother's neurodegenerative disease." Fear gripped her heart. "If I'm correct, it seems like one of the scientists on your team might have come up with a cure."  
  
"Holy shit," she breathed a sigh of relief, looking from her mother to her fiancé before she stood. "I'll be back, okay?" Her hand ran across Jaal's arm. "Keep her company for me, babe. James and Liam should be coming soon. They had to sign the adoption papers today, so they're running kinda late."  
  
"I would be honored to keep our lovely mother company, my love." She leaned down for him to kiss her cheek and she smiled at him. "You goof. Love you." She pressed a quick kiss to his forehead before she took off, shooting him a fleeting smile and a wave.  
  
"Oh, you two are _adorable_." Janelle couldn't stop smiling as she stared at the lovestruck boy, his happy body slowly relaxing as she disappeared from his view. "I'm glad, honestly. She deserves this, you know? The last I'd heard of any kinda relationship with her was that stupid Vallien, and I _hated_ his stupid ass guts."  
  
"I know," he sighed softly, turning to face her and folding his legs on the bed. "I... I have heard much of this 'Vallien' guy and to be honest," he shook his head, his brows slowly furrowing. "I have never hated anyone more in my lifetime, truly. More than the kett, even, and that is a feat in and of itself."  
  
"Yeah, I don't blame you." She nodded her head as he spoke, bending her knees. "I told her a million different times to break up with him, but every time she would always say that she just couldn't. Something about him threatening to ruin her life if she did." His brows slowly furrowed, anger dancing in his bright eyes as she spoke. "James wanted to go pay him a visit, but I told him not to. She's a strong girl. I have no doubt that, if it came down to it, she wouldn't hesitate to beat his sorry ass down."  
  
"Ah, I see where she gets her stubbornness from." Jaal softly chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "She truly is a strong woman." His eyes lit up, the sweetest smile on his face. "I admire her so, not just for her strength, but for her personality and the love that she gives to people. It's... Amazing. I have not met anyone else like her."  
  
"I know. My daughter really is something special, really." She cheekily grinned, a brow quirking up. "So, you have to tell me." She caught his gaze and his brow quirked up as well. "Tell me the moment you realized you were in love with her and why you realized it. I promise I won't tell. _Maybe_."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Not too long after I'd joined her crew - I would say perhaps a month in, it happened one night when she had been sick for a little while." He started softly, his fingers toying with the hem of his rofjinn. "She had been stuck in the medbay for a few days, fighting off some illness she had caught during one of our excursions. Our doctor, Lexi, refused to let her leave, so she waited until the night cycle and snuck out from the room to get some food."  
  
"I caught her bent over in the fridge. She peeked her head up from the door and her mouth was stuffed with as many cookies as she could possibly manage to put into her mouth and when she looked at me, her cheeks were so puffed..." He airily laughed, his eyes twinkling as she grinned, shaking her head. "She turned _so_ red."  
  
"It was _adorable_." He shook his head in disbelief. "She tried to laugh it off with the cookies still in her mouth and only ended up with tears running down her face from her laughing so hard. Then, she tried to swallow them down, which only made her start to choke _as_ she laughed, which only made her laugh harder. She started to snort, even." Janelle's eyes lit up at how happy he looked as he relived the memory, her heart feeling heavy.  
  
"Her snorting made _me_ break down laughing, combined with the strange noise that was her laughing and choking. We had both laughed so hard, we simply couldn't stand anymore and fell to the floor. When I looked at her after I had calmed down, the smile she gave me made my heart skip." He took in a soft breath. "I realized at that moment, I loved her. This..." He sighed so softly. "This beautiful, amazingly silly woman who could make light of even the darkest situations. I didn't want to believe I had fallen in love with her, but I really, truly had."  
  
"Every little thing that she did only made me feel even more love for her, to the point where it was all I could feel for her, truly. She risked her life over and over to save even the smallest person, the person others would have simply left behind in the name of the 'greater good'. Whenever someone told her something was impossible, she'd stick her middle finger up at them and tell them to watch her. Then, she would do the impossible thing and stick her tongue out at them."  
  
"Actually, you need to see this." Jaal held up his hand, twisting his wrist up and tapping at his omnitool. "Look." He held out his wrist, his omnitool lighting up with the picture of Kylie sitting on a Remnant Architect's corpse, her shotgun resting on her lap and her leg crossed over her knee with the biggest smile on her tired, smug face. "She wanted me to take this right after she'd killed it because James didn't believe that she could kill such a thing."  
  
"Oh," Janelle sighed, her finger ghosting across the image of the girl in her armor. Her heart felt so full and heavy as she took in the picture. "My baby girl. Who knew she'd look so stunning sitting on something's corpse?"  
  
"Yes," he laughed softly, his eyes crinkling in the cutest way. "I had it framed and now, it's sitting in my room. Right on my workbench where I can see it every day." He smiled so warmly down at the picture, his index finger ghosting across it. "I also sent a copy of it to my true mother. She loved it so much that she had it framed as well, and it now sits by her bed."  
  
"I have to ask," she started softly, hesitantly, as he turned off his omnitool. "Has she..." Her voice trailed off, her gaze reluctantly meeting his. "Has she hurt herself? I - I mean, since you've become a couple. I know she has a habit of doing that when she's... Overwhelmed, and I can only imagine everything she's been through has only made it worse for her to deal with."  
  
"Once."

Her heart broke. "Oh, Jane."

"I had caught her in the bathroom one late night when she was cleaning the cuts. She broke down in tears and I held her until she felt better, then I helped her wrap her hair and I took her back to bed." His eyes lowered to stare down at his hands, his voice soft and sad. "I read to her until she fell back to sleep. She told me that she loved my voice and that it was relaxing. Sam later told me that she had recorded a message for James and had a breakdown, I believe."  
  
"Shit." She punched the sheets beside her and glared up at the ceiling before she swallowed thickly, looking back at him. "And she hasn't since?" He shook his head and she slowly nodded hers. "Good." A moment passed before she smiled, reaching out and grasping his knee. "She lets her guard down around you, you know. I haven't seen that in years."  
  
"Yes," he smiled, a soft sigh escaping him. "It's taken quite a bit of time for me to fully earn her trust, and I am eternally grateful for it, truly." She couldn't stop smiling. "I have a question for you, my mother, if you wouldn't mind." She nodded, giving his knee a squeeze. "Go ahead, love."  
  
"Why do you call her... Jane?" His bright eyes lit up with curiosity. "Or, Janey, I believe? Or Janelle, actually. I have never heard her called such, despite hearing all of her strange nicknames a few of our friends have for her."

Her dark brow quirked up. "Oh. Janey is my little nickname for her, you know?" She stared at him, mildly confused. "As for Janelle, I mean, that's her _name_. Don't see why I wouldn't call her after her own name." His mouth fell open and she paused. "You know that's her name. Right?" He slowly shook his head in disbelief. "It is. She was named after me and my mother."  
  
"No." Confusion danced across his face, his eyes darting down to glare at his hands before he took in a soft breath and looked back up. "She told me that her name is Kylie. When she first introduced herself to me, she called herself Kylie Ryder. Everyone here calls her Kylie. I've never heard her refer to herself as Janelle, not even once."  
  
"What?" Janelle's dark brows furrowed, her lips pressing together in thought. "Uh... That's - That's crazy. I mean, her middle name _is_ Kylie, but her actual name is Janelle Kylie Ryder." Her hands gestured as she spoke, awkward and utterly confused. "We chose it specifically to match her brother, James Kyle Ryder."  
  
"I..." Jaal stared down at his hands in thought. "That's... Strange."

* * *

  
"Oh, good. You're here." Aridana smiled at Kylie as she walked in with Harry in tow. "We've been discussing a possible cure for your mother's neurodegenerative disease." She sat a stack of datapads down on her desk, pushing away from her chair and standing up. "It's based on old stem cell research from the past except using a sort of nano-type AI, like Sam, that we would install to initiate the rebuilding and fix the damage." She glanced back at them as she led them over to another desk, grabbing a small nanochip. "Reversing it, if you will."  
  
"Seriously?" Kylie breathlessly laughed as she stared at the chip. "That's... Wickedly amazing." She looked over at Harry as he grinned. "Like, serious. I can't believe she'll be cured. Never thought that'd be possible, you know?"  
  
"It's Andromeda, Ryder." Aridana waved the chip at her. "Endless possibilities. While you're here," she sat the chip down and walked over to Professor Herik's desk, tapping the screen and pulling up a chart. "I've been in contact with your pilot, Suvi. We've been discussing possibly gathering data from the Scourge itself in order to locate where Meridian might possibly be located."

Her finger swiped down and pulled up a hologram of the Scourge, certain spots on the map pinging with a yellow circle. "We've mapped out a few locations that we'd like you to scan when you have a moment." She paused, looking back at her with a smile. "Though, I suppose you'll be rather busy showing your mother around the new galaxy, won't you?"  
  
"Oh, wow," she softly chuckled, her shoulders relaxing at the thought. "Yeah, I will be. Shit, wow. Harry," she shook her head in disbelief as she looked over at him. "Do you know why she was even in a cryo pod? Why she's even alive? I literally thought she's been dead all these years. Like, you know," she shrugged before she folded her arms, "I literally watched her take her last breath."  
  
"Don't look at me for the answers, kid." Harry shrugged. "You know as much as I know. Imagine my surprise at seeing her face when we were going through the pods. I thought I was hallucinating at first, really." He sighed, his fingers tapping his chin in thought. "Honestly, I didn't believe it was actually her until one of my kids I've been training pointed it out. Soon as I realized it, I called you."  
  
"You called me right after I had the most emotional talk of my entire life with Jaal's true mom. Like, you had impeccable timing because I was on the verge of crying 'cause I was thinking about my mom. Nonstop. Literally the entire time." She grabbed his arm before she sighed and wrapped her arms around him. "Like, seriously. Thank you."  
  
"Don't thank me, Chickadee." He laughed, patting her back as he pulled away. "I'm not the one who put her in cryo, just the one who found her."  
  
"I'll ask Sam about it later then, I guess." She turned back to Aridana. "Anyways, show me those points again?"

* * *

  
"Dude," Kylie irritably sighed as she tried to desperately wiggle James off of their mother, only for his grip to tighten around the small woman and she groaned. Loudly. "She can't _walk_ if you're attached to her, dumbass!" He scoffed at her. "I don't fuckin' care!" His voice cracked, a sniffle escaping him. "Oh, bloody hell - Language!" Janelle scolded the two of them, her brows irritably furrowed as they both shot sheepish looks at her.

"How about this?" She gasped as he hoisted her up, one arm under the bend of her knees and the other across the swell of her back. "There," he shot a cocky grin to the girl beside him who looked utterly miffed, "now we can walk and I can hug our mom all I want."  
  
"God, you're so cute, JJ. I love you so much." Liam snorted from beside him, giving his back a playful little push. "I still can't believe the two of you are finally together," Janelle quipped from her son's arms, shooting Liam a smug little grin as she got comfortable in his arms. "It's about time, you know. I've had to endure _many_ heartfelt confessions from this guy 'cause he wanted to practice for if he ever got his nerves to do it."  
  
"What?!" The brunette couldn't stop grinning as James sputtered an awkward defense before he lamely shut up, his cheeks flushed the deepest red as he pointedly glared ahead. "Aw, JJ, you're so adorable and I love you so fuckin' much, like you have no idea."  
  
"God, I kinda have an idea, Lili." James rolled his icy blue eyes. "You only tell me, like, a million times a day." Liam chuckled as they made their way up their ship's ramp. "Whatever, you're still adorable and I still love you. Like, a lot." Her hand ran through his locs as he blushed even deeper, her fingers lightly playing with his hair. "What's this I heard of adoption papers, Jamey-bug?"  
  
"Oh -" He shot his sister a pointed glare and she grimaced, looking away. "It was _supposed_ to be a surprise, but I guess _some_ people just can't keep their mouths shut." He scoffed at her before he looked down at the woman in his arms, his expression softening. "We're adopting a baby angaran girl, though just... Not right now. We have the papers all ready to go and we're just waiting for the perfect time for us to settle down, you know?"  
  
"We also wanna adopt this adorable turian boy that's got a bit of selective mutism because he for real clicked with us like no other," Liam added in excitedly, his words stumbling over each other, "but I said we should probably hold off until we adjust to just one, y'know? Easier that way, I guess. But I want _alotta_ kids and he wants _alotta_ kids, so I might just totally ignore myself, there."  
  
"Oh!" Janelle's hands clasped over her chest, the biggest grin on her face. "I'm so excited for the two of you, you have no idea." She kissed his cheek and he chuckled, his lips pursing in the cutest way. "You settle on a name for her yet?" Kylie asked, her hand resting on James' arm as they started to make their way through the cargo hold. "Yeah," he grinned over at her. "Me and Lili were asking Jaal about traditional angaran names. So, I think we've both agreed on..." He looked over and caught Liam's gaze.  
  
"Aisli." They both said, the biggest, most uncontrollable smiles on their faces. "Jaal said that's the name of his niece and as soon as I heard it, I just... Knew it, you know? Got that feeling." Liam couldn't hold back his grin. "God, I can't believe this is happening. She's really small, only a year old and she's just... Perfect. Like, she's got the prettiest smile I've ever seen in my whole entire life, the cutest, soft, light green skin and she has the most adorable _white_ freckles, can you believe? She's also got dimples! God, I love her already."  
  
"Same here." James happily sighed as he carefully sat his mother down, his hands resting on her shoulders as she smiled up at him. "What will you name the boy? Naming kids is always the most fun part, in my opinion." Liam beamed. "Macen. I mean," they made their way over to the lift behind the Nomad and tapped the button to activate it, the lift whirring to the top. "May or may not be thanks to our lovely and _wickedly_ adorable turian Pathfinder and his boyfriend."  
  
"Man, everyone's growing up now, I guess." Kylie sighed as they walked across the room. "But, anyways, we have a little something planned for you, momma." She grinned back at her as the woman quirked a curious brow up. "It's a  surprise." She lifted her wrist, tapping her omnitool and opening the doors to the research center.  
  
"Oh, you do?" Janelle grinned, shooting the three the most curious little look. "Yep. I want you to meet our lovely little crew." She smiled, lacing her hand with hers as they carefully made their way up the ramp.

"My mother!" Jaal beamed as they came to the top of the ramp and to the sight of the crew gathered around the meeting room. Their chatter filled the room, tables set up through various points with drinks and food here and there.  
  
"Oh," he rushed over to help her up to the top before he crushed her into a hug, her eyes nearly bulging from his grip. "I'm so very happy to see you again." He softly sighed as he pulled back and she laughed, smiling up at him. "I still cannot believe I am able to meet you and be around you, the love of my life's mother and now, my mother. Truly, I am honored -"  
  
"God, this is gonna give me a cavity." Peebee groaned as she walked around them, pulling the woman from his grasp and taking her hands, grinning at her. "I'm Peebee. Or, as your lovely kid calls me, Peanut Butter. She's my Kale, just so you know," she leaned in, her voice a stage whisper as she winked over at the girl nearby, "and she's fucking awesome. You did a pretty good job."  
  
"Oh, Kale? I _love_ that! I should start using that, actually." Janelle snorted as she glanced back at Kylie and the girl stuck her tongue out at the asari as she folded her arms. "Hey!" Peebee shot her a pointed glare before she did the same, letting go of the woman and stomping her way over to Kylie, her finger raised.  
  
Suvi rushed up to grasp the woman's hands and distract her from the sudden argument the two got into, awe in her voice. "Your daughter is truly a force to be reckoned with, Mrs. Ryder. It's unbelievable." She smiled, shaking her head. "I've never seen anyone accomplish what she's done in her life, and to think? You brought her, our Pathfinder, into this world. Amazing."  
  
"Yeah," Janelle happily sighed as her hands fell from hers. "It's... Overwhelming, honestly, hearing about all of the things she's done so far. I've missed a lot, I suppose. All the more reason to catch up on all those years I missed out on, yeah?" She smiled as the woman nodded. "Oh, yes."  
  
As Janelle took a step away, she caught the sight of a krogan looming in the background, a beer can in his hand and his body stiff and rigid as he glowered over at them. She smiled, making her way over to him. "And who might you be?" She asked, leaning against the railing beside him.  
  
"Drack." He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, taking a sip of his beer as he pointedly glared at the ground. "Listen," he irritably sighed, his brows slowly furrowing. "I don't mean to come off as a jackass, but - It's just, I've spent the past, what?" He shrugged. "Year? Year and a half? With your kid and getting to know her. I have just now come to terms with the fact that I actually consider her my own, goddamn, actual kid."  
  
"For whatever reason, my dumbass brain attached to her in the worst way. Took that stubborn shit under my own goddamn wing and protected her from her self-destructive ass at all costs, no matter what. Spent countless nights talking to her from outside her fuckin' doors to keep herself from hurtin' herself. Made her an honorary krogan, a place in my clan for her if she ever wanted to run away from being a fucking Pathfinder and find a home elsewhere with her lover-boy. I..."  
  
"Goddamn, this is fuckin' hard." Drack grumbled under his breath, squeezing the can and bending the aluminum. "I feel like she doesn't need my lame ass anymore now that you're alive. Shit, I said it. Fuck. Not that I'm being sour that her favorite person in the entire world is actually alive, but it fucking _sucks_. I feel like I lost my own kid." His foot kicked a piece of trash on the floor, his nostrils flaring. "Damn it."  
  
"Drack, is it?" He nodded, glaring down at his crushed can in his hand as he fumbled with it. "Listen to me, okay?" She bent down to catch his gaze and he frowned. "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for looking out for my baby girl. She's gushed about you to me our entire way from the medbay to the ramp of your ship." His eyes lit up at her words as he swallowed thickly, his hearts aching. "Without even hesitating once, she called you Dad. Not Drack, not her crew member, but straight up Dad. She's never even called her own father that, Drack. I truly believe she considers you her actual dad, and I don't mind that. At all."  
  
"Fuck." His eyes fell shut, his hands balling into fists. "I was workin' on adoption papers and all that shit. Goddamn," Drack sighed irritably, glaring down at the floor as his hand fished for the folded up papers in his belt. "I actually have them with me, right now. Was gonna surprise her, I guess." His hand tensed before he started to yank them out from his belt. "Fuck, guess I won't be needing those useless pieces of fuckin' scrap paper."  
  
"No!" Janelle reached out, grasping his forearm and stopping him from ripping them. He froze. "Go ahead with them, Drack. I don't mind, really! A step-dad adopting someone else's child is an actual thing, you know. Not to mention that she's an adult and she can decide if she wants it or not, which I'm pretty sure she does. If she ends up being a combination of a Ryder and a..." She hesitated and he sighed, his shoulders relaxing in defeat. "Nakmor."  
  
"If she ends up being a Nakmor-Ryder-Ama Darav, I _suppose_ ," she breathlessly laughed, her hand gesturing in the air, "I'll be ecstatic. She deserves nothing but happiness and if that's what will make her happy, then let's do it." She smiled up at him and his hearts felt way too heavy. "I'm glad to have you a part of our family, Drack. The more the merrier, especially now that all my babies are having their own babies."  
  
"Damn." He sighed, his body totally relaxing against the railing he was leaned against. "I gotta tell you, she's fucking amazing. Never met another with as much fiery, rock-headed passion as this shit. Your kid -" He swallowed thickly. " _Our_ kid is a stubborn ass little shit that's made me wanna punch myself in the face so many fuckin' times, but I wouldn't trade her stubborn fuckin' ass for the world."  
  
"Now you know how I felt raising her." She laughed, his jaw falling open before he loudly cackled, slapping his knee. "She made me want to rip my hair out every single minute that I was with her, but I love her to _death_."

* * *

  
"Hey, kiddo," his hand tapped her shoulder and she glanced over at him, her hands pausing in the bowl on the counter. "Yeah?" Kylie's dark brow curiously quirked up as slowly retracted her hand from the chips, taken back by his big, happy grin. "It's _official_."  
  
"Okay, I'll bite." She grinned, turning to face him and folding her arms over her chest. "What's official, Dad?" Drack smirked down at her, reaching for his belt. "The adoption papers, duh." He held up his hand, waggling the folded up papers in her face. "You're officially _my_ kid," his hand ruffled up her coiled hair as her eyes widened, "Kylie Nakmor-Ryder."  
  
"What?! No fucking way!" The happiest smile danced across her face as she snatched the papers from his hand and unfolded them, her hands trembling as she grasped the edges. "You're shitting me, right? This is some kinda weird joke, right?"  
  
"I shit you not." He smirked, leaning against the table and grinning down at her as her finger ghosted across the words on the paper, her icy blue eyes slowly taking in the words. "Wow," her voice cracked as she swallowed thickly, willing herself to hold back her tears. "I guess I'm gonna have a shit-ton of last names that I gotta write on all my doctor papers, huh?"  
  
"Ha!" Drack haughtily laughed, grabbing a handful of chips from the bowl and popping them into his mouth, pausing in thought. "Oh, yeah." He swallowed them, a smug grin on his face. "Feel bad for your future kid when they gotta write Nakmor-Ryder-Ama Darav in school every fuckin' day, though I know they'll be goddamn proud to know they'll be considered a Nakmor."  
  
"You and your kids will always have a place in Clan Nakmor, without a fuckin' doubt. Highly doubt they will, but if any of my clan give you any trouble, I'll fuckin' rip them apart." He patted her back as she wiped at her teary eyes, smiling so warmly up at him and nearly making him melt on the spot. "God," her voice broke and she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down into a tight hug. "I love you _so_ fucking much, Dad."  
  
"I love you too, kid." He cleared his throat, swallowing down the sudden swell of emotions in his throat. "Shit - I love you too, my little ru'shan."


	26. seven devils

"So," her voice softly started as slowly approached his hologram, the blue glow emanating from the walls in Sam Node washing over her dark features. "I need to ask you some questions, Sassmaster."  
  
_"Of course, Kylie. I have been working on my phrases, per your request."_  A dark brow quirked up as he continued, her steps pausing in front of him and an almost amused tone hidden in his monotonous voice. " _As you would say, hit me with them, girl."_  
  
"Ha!" She snorted into a giggle, rolling her eyes as she plopped down on the railing beside him. "Oooh, you're getting good at those." Her hands folded in her lap before they promptly unfolded and opted to grasp the edge of the railing, her ankles hesitantly crossing. "Just, I'm not exactly sure what to ask, really." She slowly looked over at him. His hologram. _Whatever_. "I guess... Did Alec know about my mom being in cryo?"  
  
_"No."_ A beat passed, her brows slowly furrowing as she realized that was all he was going to say. "No? Just no? Nothing else?"  
  
_"No, he did not know."_  
  
"Okay," she breathlessly chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "I kinda wanted to know more than just that, Sam. Why was she even in cryo, like at all? She _died_. She was _dead_ , but now she's alive and in Andromeda and I want answers." Her arms folded aross her chest. "Now."  
  
_"She was put into cryo after she died."_ Her jaw dropped. "So, what? She's a fucking zombie? You're telling me that my mom is a zombie?!"  
  
_"No."_ Another long, quiet beat passed. She was going to  _scream._ "Sam, you're making this _so_ fucking difficult!" Her hands grasped her twin braids, her blue eyes irritably squeezing shut. "Can you _please_ just tell me how and why she ended up in cryo after I watched her die?"  
  
_"After her last breath, James took you out of the room because you couldn't stop crying. Alec followed after you, leaving your mother alone."_  She swallowed thickly at the memory, playing with her fingers as he spoke. _"I took this opportunity to test my connection to her implant and found that my connection to her was still live."_

Her brows slowly furrowed and her mouth fell open in shock, her breath caught in her chest.  _"_ _I am not sure why, but seeing her lifeless body made me... Uncomfortable. Your crying only heightened that, so in an effort to get rid of that feeling, I decided to attempt to resuscitate her body, reactivate her cardiovascular cavity and attempt to stimulate brain waves."_  
  
"What?" Her voice came out breathless, in awe, her breath rushing out of her. _"Doing thus brought your mother temporarily back to life and I decided to call for her body to be taken to cryo, keeping her alive long enough until she was properly frozen. Alec does not and did not know before his death."_  
  
"So," she swallowed thickly as she willed her voice to work, a soft, shaky sigh leaving her. "You're telling me that outta nowhere, you felt a human emotion and decided that was motivation enough to take matters into your own hands and play God?"  
  
_"Yes, that is correct."_  
  
"Jesus, that's totally not fucking _terrifying_." Kylie glared down at her boots, her dark brows slowly furrowing as her mind raced and fear gripped her heart. _What do I even do about this?_  "I'm - Just... How much of an AI are you _not_? You're literally like a little human being at this point with a will of his fucking own."  
  
_"I do not mean to change the subject, but I would like to tell you that you have not watched any of your father's memories that you have unlocked."_  
  
"Um," she rolled her eyes, "you're totally changing the subject, Sam. That's fucking scary."  
  
_"No, I am not. I am -"_  
  
"Yes, you are!"  
  
_"Kylie, I am not changing the subject. I merely wished to -"_  
  
"There you go again, _human_ Sassmasster!" Her finger pointed at his hologram while her free hand thumbed the fabric of her shirt. She finally looked back up at his hologram, her shoulders falling in defeat. "Goddamnit, I know. I kinda _really_ didn't wanna relive parts of my life through _his_ eyes. I mean, you know, the guy that abandoned my family and left my mom to raise twin shits on her own while he ran off and played hero."  
  
_"I believe it would be wise for you to watch them. Perhaps you would be given a different view on as to why he was absent for most of your life. I will tell you that he did not do it maliciously, nor on purpose. But in your eyes, I know that saying such does not make it right."_  
  
"God, I fucking..." She irritably rolled her eyes, pushing against the railing to stand. " _Fine_. I'll watch them."  
  
_"Before you go,"_ her body froze, slowly falling back down on her seat. _"I would like to ask you a question about your attachment to Jaal."_  
  
"Um..." She sat back down. "Oookay."  
  
_"The only romantic relationship I have experienced was the one between your parents, which ended in heartbreak and separation."_ A soft sigh left her as she nodded. "You mean divorce."  
  
_"Yes. What I experienced through Alec is that although he loved her, he did not know how to show such feelings to her nor his kids. I do believe he truly did love your mother, but just didn't know how to tell her."_  
  
"Well, me and Jaal are..." She scoffed, her hand twisting in the air. " _Vastly_ different from my parents. We actually show each other that we love each other. We say it every day and every night, probably really every minute, honestly, and we text and call each other all day if we're too busy to actually be around each other, unlike them. I mean, my mom tried, but Alec certainly didn't."  
  
"I..." Her gaze slowly fell to her feet, her throat feeling full. "I feel like Jaal helped me get better, you know? Not like I _needed_ him to figure myself out or to show myself that I can be happy, but just something that helped me find my happiness along the way. Something that gave me that little push, that little boost of confidence. He built me up when I broke myself down, helped me back up when I just wanted to stay down. I'm... I'm super grateful for him. I love him, with all of my heart."  
  
_"I see. I will note this for the future. There is something else that I would like to let you know."_  
  
"Shoot."  
  
_"Your father also did not know how to show his kids love. Specifically you."_  Her body tensed, an uncomfortable numb grabbing her legs. _"In his eyes, he viewed you as a child others should want their child to aspire to be. Not just because of your biotics or your knowledge, but by the fact that you wear your heart on your sleeve and are not afraid to let someone know how you feel."_  
  
"Um..." She sharply shrugged, shooting his hologram a glare as she swallowed thickly, a sudden surge of emotions making her feel... Way too much. Overwhelmed. "Okay...?"  
  
_"He was jealous of that, and he was not sure how to handle it."_  
  
"That didn't suddenly make it okay for him to yell at me for being emotional or for crying, Sam!" Her hands harshly slammed against the railing, balled into fists as her heart felt all too heavy and painful. "That didn't make it okay for him to fucking ground me when I barely even spoke against what he was saying!" She vividly gestured with her hands before she sharply pushed herself up, her mind overwhelmed as her hands grasped at her braids. "When he told James that one time that 'men don't cry' bull-fucking-shit? I was ready to beat his face into a fucking _pulp_! I was ready to fucking kill him!"  
_  
"Kylie -"_

"Don't you _dare_ fucking start," she pointed an accusatory finger at his hologram, her hand trembling and her lip quivering as he fell quiet. Her brain felt hazy, a step back from him with each word. "Don't you _dare_ try to attempt to justify Alec's shitty actions towards me, Sam. _You,_  of all people, should know better than to fucking do that! I trusted you!"

"You've lived through my memories," her voice cracked, "you watched him do this to _us_! What kinda father hurts his own kids?! What kinda father does that?! How can someone be so fucking _selfish_ that they can't -" Her voice broke as her hand balled into a fist and her body froze in the doorway. Her mind raced and tears bit at her eyes, her hand slowly falling in defeat. "I'm..." Her icy, teary eyes widened as her hand squeezed the door frame harshly and a soft, trembling sigh left her, her breathing heavy. "I - I need to go. I can't -" She sniffled and shook her head, turning around and glaring out into the hall.

Her head slightly tilted to the side, glancing at his hologram from over her shoulder and her voice breaking. "Not everyone gets or _deserves_ a fucking 'redemption arc'."

* * *

  
_"Darling one,"_ his deep voice chirping over their private comms broke her from her trance at her father's desk. _"Where are you?"_ She gasped and jumped, grasping the armrests of the desk chair in her father's quarters before she took in a deep breath, forcing herself to relax back against the seat. _"I've looked in your usual places that you love to frequent, including that new flower shop you love so much, but I cannot seem to find you anywhere."_  
  
"Oh," Kylie let out the softest sigh, tapping her comms to life. "I'm in Alec's room. Go to the Habitation Deck, take the first door on the right, then go down the hallway past Sam Node. I'll leave it unlocked so you can get in."  
  
_"Alec's room? You're in your father's quarters, my love?"_ She swiveled the chair around, rubbing at her temple as she stared out at the eerily quiet room, her heart feeling heavy. "I know. Sam wanted me to check out some memories, so that's what I've been doing for the past two hours."  
  
_"Ah, I see."_ Silence fell between them and her heart dropped, a soft sob breaking her. _"Are you okay, my dearest? I know you don't like thinking about him."_ Her mind flickered to the last memory she watched of her family together and she sniffled, rubbing at her sad eyes. "I've just... God, I don't fucking know. I feel so conflicted anymore, but I guess... I guess I've just missed my family and seeing these memories just brought those feelings back up."  
  
_"I know, my love. I can only imagine how much you must have missed your family."_ He softly sighed, the sound making her feel warm. _"I could not picture being without mine for as long as you had. I bet having our mother and our brother back must make you feel incredibly better."_  
  
Footsteps echoed from outside the door and she sighed. "It's not that. I think. I... Shit, I don't even know." She irritably sighed. "I guess I miss the simpler days, like... You know what I mean? Back when all I had to worry about was passing high school and making sure I didn't walk in on Alec when he was fiddling with Sam or some shit."  
  
_"I know what you mean."_ The doors hissed open and the sight of him made her utterly relax against the chair, his voice all too soothing as he lit up at the sight of her and a weight fell from her shoulders. "There you are, my love." He softly said. She held her arms out at him as he smiled and crossed the distance to her before she noticed his hands hidden behind his back. Her brows slowly furrowed. "Jaal? What're you up to?"  
  
"Oh," a soft hum rumbled in his chest as he cheekily grinned, her brow curiously quirking up and her arms falling in favor of folding across her chest. "Nothing, really." He stopped just short of her desk chair and pulled a bouquet of roses out from behind him, ornately wrapped in a red ribbon tied into a big bow. "I know you've been eyeing these for awhile."  
  
The back of her hand pressed against her mouth, the sweetest smile dancing across her face as she blinked her suddenly teary eyes, the softest gasp escaping her. "Oh, my God." She took the flowers from him and pulled him down into a kiss, her hand trembling against his jaw. "You're so impossibly sweet. I love these. I love you."  
  
"I love you, _more_." He poked her nose and took the flowers from her, gently laying them down on the desk behind her before he fell back into her arms and hugged her. "For a moment, I was worried that you had hidden yourself away in our room on the Tempest again."  
  
"I know, I know." She smiled up at him as he pulled back, her hands cradling his jaw to pull him into another soft kiss. "I'm just... I feel..." Her brows furrowed as his forehead pressed to hers, her heart skipping a beat as his hand cradled her jaw and his bioelectricity wavered. "I don't know."  
  
Jaal softly chuckled. "'I don't know' is better than sad." He gently grasped under her and hefted her up, glancing around the room before heading over to the bed. "I would rather have you conflicted than crying," he gently sat her down on the bed and laid down beside her, lazily stretching out as she rolled her eyes and laid down beside him. "It breaks my heart when you cry."  
  
"Guess I break your heart a lot, then." She rolled onto her side and curled up against him, her fingers lazily tapping over his firm stomach as her other hand propped her head up. "'Cause I cry like, every five minutes. Everything makes me emotional anymore since I got pregnant."  
  
He laughed a lovely, full-body laugh, her body relaxing even more against his. "Oh, yes. I know, you're completely and utterly breaking my heart every five minutes." His hand rested on her lower back as he rolled onto his side, admiring the happy smile on her face. "I'm... I'm so very grateful that we're having a child together, my love."  
  
"I've..." His hand trailed up her back, over her arm and up to cradle her jaw, his bioelectricity tickling an electric trail across her skin. "I've always wanted to be a father, truly. Now that I have the love of my entire life with me and, by some impossible probability, we're having," a breathless chuckle, his head shaking in disbelief, "a _child_ together, despite the fact that we're both _aliens,_  that you're giving me the privilege to _marry_ you, the love of my life, even - My life is..." He kissed the tip of her nose, the biggest smile on her face. " _Perfect_. You make my life perfect, my love."  
  
"I do?" Her lip trembled, her icy eyes searching his as he nodded, leaning in to capture her in the softest, sweetest kiss that made her heart just ache. "Even with the kett?" She murmured against his lips and quirked a dark brow up as he grinned. He lifted his head and kissed her brow until it relaxed, the happiest smile on his face. "Even with the kett, my love."

* * *

  
"Put that box over there," Janelle pointed across the living room as Kylie came in with a cardboard box in her arms, her eyes following her extended finger until she nodded and took off. "And put those in the kitchen, love." She nodded at Jaal as he came in, three stacks of boxes hindering his view.  
  
"Are you sure you wanna stay here, Momma?" James pouted as he grabbed a box from Jaal's pile and walked towards the kitchen, disappointment in his voice. "We could totally make room for you on our ship," Kylie called out in agreement, pulling a few things out of her box and setting them beside her on the wooden floor of the apartment's living room.  
  
Janelle airily laughed, taking a box from Liam's stack as he came in. "Aww, my sweet babies, I'm a little too old for all of the adventures you two and your lovely crew go on. I'm afraid I'd be that old person that throws her back out as soon as she'd take a step outside in her armor. Or I'd break my finger lifting my gun, y'know."  
  
"Hey," Liam grinned, pointing his finger at her as her eyes widened in surprise. "No need to drag Drack like that, Mom."  
  
"Hey!" Kylie's yell made him pause, a hand towel suddenly hitting him square in the face. "Don't drag my Dad like that, boy!" She glowered as he pulled the towel off and he stuck his tongue out at her, waggling his fingers against his head in an extremely mocking manner. "What?!" She gasped and shot up, cracking her knuckles. "Want me to age you a few hundred years, Lola?"  
  
"Oh, you wanna go?" Liam took a step towards her, rolling his head and cracking his knuckles with the stupidest grin on his face. "I'd fuckin' love that, Lala. I'll meet you behind a fuckin' century old Denny's at four in the morning -"  
  
"Stop!" James whined loudly, breaking their glares as he threw himself against the kitchen's wall and slid down it. "I'm _so_ fucking tired of you two arguing!" He shot his boyfriend an irritated look, the brunette grinning in amusement at his distress. "You're worse than we are! _Jesus_."  
  
"That's very true," Jaal started from his spot beside Kylie as she plopped back down, sitting down beside her on the floor and shuffling through the box's contents near her. "You two have been arguing more than usual." He quirked a brow up at her as she pouted and shrugged. "It's usually Liam's fault, though."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
_"Hey, ru'shan,"_ Drack's deep, worried voice over her comms made her freeze, the room falling silent. _"I... I gotta huge fuckin' problem. Like, shit, a really bad fuckin' problem. Like, I need to see you back on the Tempest ASAP kinda problem."_  
  
Her brows furrowed as she looked up at Jaal, worry in her icy eyes, and they grasped each other's hand. He stood up and carefully helped her up, his hand lacing with hers. "What's going on, Dad?" She gave her mother a quick kiss on her cheek as they passed by and waved at the other two before they took off through the doors.  
  
_"It's about the colony. Fuck,"_ he sighed and they shot each other worried looks, _"some dipshit stole one of our transports."_ Her jaw dropped as they rounded the corner, walking down the flight of stairs and passing by a cluster of people. _"Listen, I can't just tell you this over the comms. I needa see you in person before I fucking lose it."_  
  
"Dad," she shook her head as they approached the doors to the docking bay, her fingers working on typing in the sequence before the doors hissed open and their trek continued, "first of all, breathe. You're literally not breathing."  
  
_"Yeah, I fuckin' am, ru'shan. Listen, this is fuckin' bad. We gotta head to Elaaden -"_  
  
"No, you're not." She rolled her eyes. "I can usually hear your breathing within a ten-mile radius of your ass because of your shitty ass lungs. So, first, take a deep breath and if I don't hear that rattle in your single lung somewhere along the way, it's not deep enough." Jaal's hand steadied her as they walked up their ship's ramp. "Second of all, I'll see you in a minute, so relax."

Jaal gently squeezed her hand before he released it and she took off, blowing him an air kiss as she walked through the cargo hold and into the hallway. Her fingers tapped at her omnitool and the galley's doors hissed open, her body pausing as she took in the sight of the krogan irritably pacing around, his body stiff and his expression alternating between pissed off and confused as little, frustrated grumbles escaped him. When he didn't acknowledge her, her heart skipped a beat.  
  
"Dad, what the fuck is going on?" Kylie's brows furrowed as she watched him furiously pace back and forth in the galley, his hands alternating between balling and unballing into fists, unsure what to do with himself. Little growls hissed under his breath, his eyes squeezing shut before he sharply sighed.  
  
"Fuck." His body froze before he leaned forward and grabbed the edge of the kitchen counter, his nails digging into the steel as he glared at the stove. "One of our botanists, Hark, just called me up in a complete panic." He looked over at her, his brows furrowed and worry in his deep-set eyes. "Says a colony transport with our entire fuckin' seed vault on it was stolen."  
  
"What?!" Her eyes shot wide open. He turned to face her, his hands trembling as he grabbed her shoulders. "Without that seed vault, ru'shan, things are gonna get fuckin' complicated, _real_ fast. Krogan kids _need_ the nutrients in those plants to survive." He sharply pulled away from her and slammed his fist into the counter, growling and grabbing his carapace. "Shit, if we even have _one_ clutch of babies hatch before we can synthesize anything, the effects would be fucking  _permanent_!"  
  
"Goddamnit!" He let out a frustrated yell as he punched the wall behind him, the metal denting and sending his fist flying backwards. "I'm gonna get those fucking seeds back no fuckin' matter what," he shook his hand out and turned around to face her, his hands grabbing hers and squeezing them, "but I want - No, I fuckin' _need_ you to come along, kid. Can't imagine doin' this without my little ru'shan there with me."  
  
A big, happy grin slowly crawled across her face. "Are you kidding me, Dad? Always count me in!" She wrapped her arms around him and yanked him down into a hug, his body stiffening before he relaxed and his arms wrapped around her. "I'd do anything and everything for your old ass."

"Shit, I'm so grateful for your ass, ru'shan." A long, soft sigh left him as his body utterly relaxed and he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers. "You don't even know how grateful I fuckin' am." His head tilted as she grabbed his carapace and tiptoed, kissing his cheek with a big, happy smile. "I know."

* * *

The heat from Elaaden baring down on them made her want to off herself. Kylie desperately fanned at her hot face as they walked down a set of metal stairs, shooting a glare at the krogan beside her as he chuckled at her obvious torment. "Stop before I hurt you." She shot him a glare, wiping the sweat off of her forehead. "I'm literally dying. Humans aren't meant for this heat."

"Of course they aren't." He chuckled and she whacked his arm, a smirk on his face as Jaal snorted beside her. She shot him a dirty glare as they approached the botany counter, the krogan's hand hitting the counter while the angara grinnd at her. "Hey, kid," Drack's deep voice and the slam of his fist startled the younger krogan behind the counter, a tool in his hand clattering to the ground as he nearly squeaked in surprise. "Relax, Hark. Do I need to roast your ass again?"  
  
"N-No, sir, Drack -" Hark let out a sharp breath in an attempt to steady himself while Kylie helplessly grinned at the entire scene, wiping at her forehead again. "Sorry, this is just..." He picked up the tool, heading over to an open box and dropping it inside before he closed it. "So much more excitement than what I'm used to, y'know? Spent most my life in a garden."  
  
"Anyways," he approached them once again, "I tracked the stolen transport to one of Elaaden's moons." His brows furrowed as he looked at the girl then to the krogan, a lingering glance spared at the angara beside him. "You'll need to take your ship - None of ours have that fancy stealth like yours does."  
  
"Sounds good." Kylie nodded her head, fanning herself with her hand. " _Jesus_ , it's hot." Jaal grinned at her whine, rolling his eyes. "I just wanna ask, though," she leaned against the counter as Jaal stood beside her, fanning her face along with her. "How'd they steal your transport? You guys have some pretty intense security if I'm remembering correctly."  
  
"I... Uh," Hark nervously sighed while Kylie shot Jaal a grateful smile, his voice trembling as he spared a scared glance over at the krogan. "I had... I had the security system off while I was transferring a new sample, and..." He shook his head while Drack indignantly scoffed, his voice coming out quickly and defensively before he could say anything else.  "They snuck in from the far side. I didn't have time to react, or -"  
  
"Really?" Drack's voice nearly made him melt into a puddle of completely terrified krogan. "I - I - Yes." His shoulders slacked in defeat, unable to look him in the eyes. "Morda thinks that Vorn took the transport for a sample run. Please, don't tell her otherwise - That'll be the end of me and my life as I know it."  
  
"No shit," the older krogan snorted, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the counter while Hark pointedly looked away from him. "If she finds out what really happened 'fore we get it back, she'll fry your quads over a low, Tuscany-smoked fire then eat 'em for dinner."  
  
"I - I - I know," Hark shuddered, gripping the edge of the counter as he paled the longer he stared down at it, the thought making his body feel numb. He shook his head, reluctantly looking up at the krogan. "Thank you, seriously, for helping me. I'd be a dead man if it weren't for you."  
  
"That's what we're here for, Hark." Kylie shrugged, pushing away from the counter and grasping the angara's hand. "We help everyone, y'know."  
  
"My -" The younger krogan hesitated as she smiled at him. He swallowed thickly. "My coordinates should drop you just close enough to sneak in." Hark lifted his wrist and tapped into his omnitool, his thumb and index finger squeezing together before he swiped up and sent it to her omnitool.  
  
"Okay," Drack cracked his knuckles as Kylie's omnitool pinged and she lifted her wrist, getting to work on inspecting the coordinate's marks, "just what are we walkin' into?" He motioned to the girl. "Can't have my kid running head first into dangerous shit while she's carryin' a kid in her. If it's easy shit, we're game. If we're talking thirty mechs and ten thresher maws, you're stayin' back."  
  
"Dad -" He shot her a look that shut her right up, her lips irritably pursing before she returned her attention to her omnitool. "He's right, my love." Jaal laughed, his hand meeting her waist as his finger swiped right to the next coordinates and her face turned an embarrassed red. She swallowed down her emotions. "Whatever."  
  
Hark paused, his brows furrowed. "It's - It's just a group of Nexus exiles. Nothing too major, Drack."  
  
"See, Dad!" She rolled her eyes, shooting him a pointed look as her omnitool flickered off. "That's _easy_." Her arms folded over her chest as he glowered down at her, his lips pursed while Jaal simply shrugged, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Oh, ew, no," she wiggled his arms off of her, shooting him an apologetic look when he gave her an incredulous stare, his mouth agape in disbelief. "I'm super sweaty and not cuddly at all right now, babe. Love you, though."  
  
"Darling one, I'll die if I don't hug you -" Hark interrupted Jaal, holding up his hand as they looked at him. "They're hiding out in an old complex up there." The angara sadly pouted while the krogan spoke, attempting to grab her again when she wasn't looking. She fervently shook her head, pushing him away before he lunged at her. "Get back here, you silly girl!" She ducked under his arms and took off, screaming as she ran up the stairs and he took off after her. "I _will_ hug you!"

Her voice echoed as they disappeared. "No, you won't!"  
  
"Well, shit," Drack rolled his eyes, shooting the younger krogan an irritated glare as he passed by him. Hark gave him an apologetic look with the shrug of his shoulders and a small smile. "Guess I better go get 'em before the big guy gets himself killed."

* * *

  
The low, loud whirr of the Tempest slowly landing flooded the surroundings, debris scattering from the intensity of the wind as the ramp slowly lowered. _"So,"_ Kylie started over their comms as she grabbed onto the wall of the ramp and Jaal steadied her, both taking a step down once it lowered for the majority, _"let's keep our little visit as a surprise for as long as possible."_  
  
"Until we shoot them all dead," Drack added in once the sound of the ship landing died down, their comms falling silent as he walked down the ramp alongside her. "Right, ru'shan?" He started after a moment and glanced over at her with a smirk. She rolled her eyes, lightly patting his shoulder. "Right, Dad. Until we shoot them all dead."  
  
A drop fell on her head. She paused. "Wait a minute..." Her brows slowly furrowed as she looked up at the dark-clouded sky, her lips pursing. "Is it..." Another drop, the frequency gradually increasing until it was a heavy, harsh pelt hitting them hard. "Rain?!" She groaned loudly as they ran under cover, shooting a pointed glare to the krogan beside her. "Thanks for this, Dad."  
  
"Oh, you're welcome." Drack cheekily grinned as he glanced over the top of their cover and took in the sight of the run-down complex. "Wow. This place is a fuckin' _dump_. Look at that, ru'shan." He pointed his finger and she followed its trail, taking in its battered and beaten appearance. "Not even one guard stationed outside this entrance. They even know how to run as exiles? Probably why they aren't on Kadara, then."  
  
"God, at least these morons make our job easy, then." Kylie unholstered her gun and stood, motioning for the two to follow her as she shielded herself from the rain. Drack grumbled under his breath, "be nice to have some kinda challenge at least. Least they could do for makin' us drag our asses all the way out on this fuckin' moon here just to kick their sorry asses."  
  
"I agree," Jaal irritably mumbled under his breath, taking his place behind Kylie as they headed towards the compound. His arm lifted to cover the girl from the rain before his eyes caught the sight of the roof and he paused, grasping their shoulders and pointing his gun at the shuttle atop the building. "Is that the transport?"  
  
Drack glanced up. "Yep, that's it." His eyes slowly narrowed, his nostrils flaring. "The seed vault better still be on board or I'll tear this fuckin' place, and everyone inside of it, to the goddamn ground until we find it."  
  
"I'm down for that." Kylie cheekily grinned as the krogan snorted. He shook his head. "Of course you are, ru'shan. You're my kid."  
  
"Damn right, old man." The doors ahead hissed open ahead, the mercenary gasping and rolling into cover as he took in the sight of the three.  _"We have intruders!"_ He called out into his comms, more flooding in as the three rolled into cover. "Well," the girl spared a glance over at the other two, raising her gun, "here we go."   
  
_"This place,"_ Jaal breathed into their comms as the fighting finally died down, holstering his gun and stretching his arms out as he stood from his spot and stretched his legs out, _"is pathetic."_  
  
"Told you so!" Drack grunted, cracking his neck as he kicked a dead body out of his way and held his hand out to the girl. She took it and he helped her up with a grunt. "These dumbasses are barely even worth our ammo at this point."  
  
A groan came from behind them and they froze before Drack glowered, grabbing his gun from his holster and stomping over. Words barely escaped the man before Drack bent over and grabbed his throat, the words cutting off in a sharp, pained noise as his barrel pressed against the man's forehead. "You shouldn't have jacked our transport." _Boom_.  
  
"Drack," Jaal started after a drawn out moment of silence, a scoff escaping him as the krogan shook his head and holstered his gun. "Your passion for combat and... Killing people, I suppose, is rather admirable, in some kind of a strange way."  
  
"Ha!" He boomed as the girl made her way over to them and he clapped the angara's back, shaking his head triumphantly. "Not much about me that _isn't_ , big guy."  
  
Kylie snorted into a laugh, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes wrinkled in the cutest way. "Oh, my God. It's true, though. I kinda look up to you in that aspect. I still feel bad whenever I shoot someone dead, just 'cause I know we all came here together and things just kinda... Kinda went to hell, I guess. "  
  
"Some people _deserve_ to die, ru'shan." Drack pointed at her as they entered the compound and started walking up a flight of stairs, cautious glances darting around the perimeter as they moved. "Learn that and learn it good, 'cause your life will depend on that one day."  
  
"Oh, I know that. It already has." Silence fell on the group before she cleared her throat, grasping the railing and pulling herself up across a broken step. Jaal started up behind her. "Drack," his voice fell all too soft and the krogan's hearts faltered, "why didn't you stay with the krogan colony?"  
  
The krogan huffed as he kicked open a box atop the staircase, pocketing some ammo. "Kept tripping over the young ones asking me for more war stories." She caught the angara's eyes and hers softened, the two sharing a knowing look and her heart felt heavy. "I mean," he sighed, glancing back at them as they looked up at him. "Morda had things in hand. Didn't need an old hog like me rotting around anymore bothering people, so I set out to hunt kett."  
  
"Dad, you're kidding, right? Everyone needs an old, wise hog like you around." Kylie grinned at him and he rolled his eyes, turning away from her and taking another jump across a broken stair. "You make life interesting and fun. Not to mention, I'd be dead without you here."  
  
"Ha, you would say that, ru'shan. I'm only interesting and fun for _you_. You'd..." He hesitated. "You'd be fine without me, trust me." They passed through a set of doors and he held his arms above her, shielding her from the rain as the room led out onto a balcony overlooking more of the compound spread out in front of them. He took the opportunity to change the subject. "Damn. We may be in another galaxy, but I'll be damned if this ain't a mining operation."  
  
"It does look like it." She said as they turned and began to pass across the bridge, her heart feeling heavy at what he'd just said. "Dad..." She caught his gaze and her eyes softened, heavy with emotion. "Drack, you know that I -" Static broke through their comms, interrupting her words. Kylie's steps froze and she held up her hand, the others pausing in place. "Sassy, clear up that comm signal." Her brows furrowed, swallowing thickly at the sound of his voice. _"I will attempt to do so."_  
  
She hesitated for a moment longer, glancing back at the two before the AI spoke back up. _"I am afraid I cannot. The storm is interfering with their signal."_  
  
"Goddamnit." Her hands balled into fists. "Let's get moving." She irritably sighed as they started down the bridge once more. "I hope this storm clears up," she said as they reached the end of the bridge and she lifted her wrist, hacking the door's sequencer until they finally hissed open.  
  
"Fuck! Aroane, we've got a problem!" A voice calling out made her glance over at Jaal, their gaze meeting before she caught Drack's. His brows furrowed and they cautiously continued forward towards the corner, their bodies propelling forward as they caught sight of an amass of mercenaries around the bend.  
  
Aroane paused, looking up from his spot and scrambling to stand and grasp his gun at the sight of them rolling into cover. "Get it together!" He harshly yelled, pointing at the slew of angara around them as they frantically stood, grasping for their guns. "Stop them! What am I paying you morons for?!"  
  
"Did I hear Aroane?" Drack called out, peeking up from his cover beside the girl. Jaal's brows furrowed, grasping the krogan's shoulder as he rounded him, his voice laced with surprise as he spoke up. "Does that mean Spender is involved?"  
  
“Shit.” Drack looked over at Kylie as her jaw dropped. "That would explain how they got our codes for the transport." His eyes darkened as a slow, dangerous grin crawled across his face and his grip on his gun tightened. "Aroane, we're gonna have a nice friendly chat, you and I!”  
  
“No, we’re not!” Aroane frantically called out between gunshots, stumbling backwards. “We are not!” He yelled, taking off on his heel and running away. “We’re not doing jack shit!”  
  
“God, he’s -” Kylie irritably sighed, aiming at a merc and shooting her head clean off. “Let’s make quick work of these morons.”

* * *

  
“Ha! About time these jackasses get organized for fuckin' once!” Drack boomed as the last body of the mercenaries hit the floor. Kylie rolled her eyes, holstering her gun and walking ahead. “You get way too happy when people shoot at you, Dad -”  
  
The static from before chimed back in through their comms, only louder and breaking their own signals. “Is that the emergency channel?” Jaal asked as he hoisted the girl up, helping her climb up a crate. She stared down at her omnitool for a moment before she sighed. “Sam, please tell me you can clear this up now?”  
  
_“I will certainly try.”_  
  
_“I... I ne- I need help, anyone if you’r-”_ Her brows furrowed as she pulled herself up onto the next crate and the voice died down, glancing back at Drack as he made his way up. His jaw dropped, his hand tapping at his omnitool while Jaal jumped up beside her. “Shit, that almost sounds like Vorn.”  
  
“Hey, Dad,” Kylie motioned for him to hop his ass up before pointing to a pile of metal rubble and debris ahead. “Use your big ass to move this for us, please.”  
  
Drack haughtily snorted at her, rolling his eyes as he gently pushed her out of the way from the pile. “You’re a weightlifter, ru’shan. Pretty sure you could do this.” He grasped under the metal as she scoffed. “I’ve seen you benchpress your boyfriend’s weight and more.”

"Well," she rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders, "I mean -"  
  
“Actually,” he grinned as her voice squeaked to a stop and she quirked up a curious brow at him. “You know what?” He lowered the metal debris with a loud creak and took a step back, pointing at it. “Try it.”  
  
“What?” She snorted, rolling her eyes and shrugging her shoulders. “No. Are you - You’re totally - What? You're kidding. Dad, I’m so -”  
  
“No, you’re not fuckin’ weak." He pointed at her, taking a step towards her with a challenging look in his eyes. "You could probably carry my heavy-ass, seven hundred pound body around if you really wanted to." His gaze caught hers and they paused, glaring each other down. "Try it, ru’shan.”  
  
“Okay, _fine_!” Kylie irritably sighed as she stepped forward and crouched down, reluctantly getting a solid grip on the metal. “But if I die, you’re paying for my funeral. And for my kid's funeral.” Her muscles bulged and strained as she slowly started to pull the metal wall up, her eyes squeezing tightly shut as a low growl escaped her. “And you’re paying reimbursement for,” her voice was strained and slowly rose as she yanked up and changed her grip, triumphantly pushing the metal up. “For Jaal’s emotional _trauma_!”  
  
“Oh, my holy fuck.” Her arms frantically trembled as she held the heavy metal debris clear above her head, allowing the two to rush in under it, her face beat red from exertion. “Holy fucking shit.”  
  
“Ha!” The krogan was positively beaming with joy as he gripped the metal to let her bolt under it before she crashed to the floor. He sounded all too proud as it fell to the ground, his eyes crinkled and a toothy grin on his face. “I knew my ru’shan could do it! Just gotta believe in yourself, you little shit.”  
  
“Oh, sure.” Her breathing came out heavy and pained as she glared up at them, her arms stretched out and shaking. “Totally didn’t just die right fuckin' there.” Jaal held his hand out to her with a grin and she took it. “That hurt _so_ bad, like...” He pulled her up and right into his arms, squeezing her against him. “I can’t believe I just _did_ that, even.”  
  
Jaal lazily smirked as he kissed her cheek, cradling her jaw. “ _I_ can.” He pressed his forehead against hers, lovingly staring into her bright eyes. “You’re so very strong, my love.” His deep voice made her nervously giggle, grasping his jaw and pulling him down for a soft kiss -  
  
_“Hello? Can anyone hear me out there?!”_ Their bodies froze at the frantic voice erupting through their comms. “Vorn?!” Drack grasped Kylie’s wrist as her omnitool lit up, yanking her away from the angara as they stared at each other in shock. “Fuck, what are you doin’ here, Vorn?”  
  
_“Drack? Then, Kylie’s here, too? Holy shit. No wonder these pirates said they needed reinforcement. They’re gonna need a shit ton of more people if you’re here.”_ A trembling chuckle came from the other end before it died down. _“I was on the ship doing inventory when the pirates stole it. It all happened so fast, I could barely process it to warn someone.”_  
  
"Okay," Drack indignantly scoffed, shooting a pointed glare down at the omnitool. "Stop dickin' around and get your ass down here."  
  
_"I-I would but I had to lock myself into a shipping container."_ A boom sounded through their comms, followed by the faintest sound of overlapping yelling. _"They're literally outside this and I'm pretty sure they want me dead right now."_  
  
His mouth opened to speak only for a loud whirr to sound above them, their eyes widening as they looked up and caught the sight of the shuttle revving to life. "Goddamnit." He growled lowly, his eyes searching her omnitool as he looked back at it. "Of course they're warming up for fucking lift off. We don't have the fucking time for this."  
  
"I guess they finally realized why we're here." Kylie sighed, shooting him a wary look. "I -"  
  
"We can't let them get away with the seeds, ru'shan." Drack's voice came out quick as his brows furrowed and let go of her wrist, his hands balling and unballing into fists as his mind raced. "The colony's fucking _doomed_ without it! We've gotta - Fuck, I don't know!"  
  
Jaal took a few steps forward, gun raised as he took in the sight of guards slowly filling the area ahead. "They're determined to take us down," he glanced over his shoulder, his bright eyes filled with worry. "We need to move." Silence fell among them as indecision hit the krogan. Hard. "Now."  
  
"Transport or Vorn, Dad?" Her soft voice broke him from his trance, his eyes snapping up to look at her, a heavy emotion dancing in them and making her feel completely helpless. "I'm not making that decision for you. I can't do that to -"  
  
"God, I fucking know!" Drack yelled as his body tensed, staring at her as a brief flicker of hurt flashed across her face. His hearts broke and he glared down at the floor in disbelief, pressing his lips together to keep from yelling again. He rubbed at his face, swallowing thickly. "I - I fucking - What a fucking _crapshoot_!"

He took a step forward, hands tightly balling into fists as he let out an irritated grumble before it exploded into a frustrated growl, his body whipping around and his fist loudly colliding with the metal behind them, denting it in half. "Holy fucking _shit_!" Another punch, the other fist, the metal breaking. " _Goddamnit_!"  
  
"Dad," she grabbed his shoulders, yanking him away from the wall to face her as he shook out his hands, a bitter expression tugging at his features as he scowled at her, his eyes blurry. "Focus. Breathe. You've got this, we've got this. This is your colony and you know what's best, so go with what your gut tells you to do, okay? You're good. I'm here, Dad."  
  
"I -" His eyes slowly softened and his body relaxed as he stared down at her, his hearts feeling heavy as he caught her gaze and his hands rested on hers. "I know." His voice came out soft as she nodded her head, squeezing his shoulders. "I know. Fuck, I know." He nodded, his eyes searching hers and he swallowed thickly, his lip trembling before he let out another sigh, shaking his head in disbelief. "God, the seed vault's useless without Vorn's botanist ass. Fuck, let's get him first."  
  
He grabbed her wrist, yanking it up to his face and tapping her omnitool. "Vorn, ready your goddamn ass. We're heading your way and you better be ready to go as soon as we fucking -"  
  
_"Got it! Doing that, right now!"_ Drack pushed off of her wrist and unholstered his gun, taking off. She followed after him, hesitating as he held his hand up and stepped forward, slapping an explosive on another metal wall before he stepped back and stood in front of her, shielding her from the blast.  
  
It erupted into a flurry of explosion, metal shards flying apart and revealing an unsteady level of grates suspended mid-air, various bits of them missing. "Oh, awesome. Totally looks steady." She grumbled, taking a step beside him and glaring at the grates.  
  
He snorted, shooting her an incredulous look. "What? I've seen you jump worse, ru'shan." With that, he threw himself forward, landing on the grate as she came rolling forward. He caught her just before she nose-dived off the end, his eyes rolling as she shot him a nervous grin and Jaal called out, panic in his deep voice. "Darling one, please be careful!"   
  
_"Ky_ lie," she froze as Vorn's voice picked up through her comms, her eyes catching the krogan's gaze and her brows furrowing. _"If... If you don't make it to me in time, could you... Could you send Kesh my love, please?"_

"Don't be stupid, of course we'll -" His voice sharply stopped as her jaw dropped and she looked at Drack, his eyes shooting wide open and his body stiffening as his brain finally processed his words. "Wait," his brows dangerously furrowed as he glared down at her omnitool, grabbing it and pulling it closer. "What did you just fuckin' say, Urdnot Vorn?"  
  
_"Uh, oh. Oh - Oh shit. I said 'love', didn't I?"_  
  
Drack lowly growled as he pushed her wrist away, punching the air as he jumped forward to the next crate. "First your ass with that guy that's now your fuckin' fiancé, which I grew to fuckin' be okay with, but now this?" He punched the metal grate before he stood, his body radiating with anger as he glanced back at the girl, her eyes wide. "I'm gonna rescue his ass, then I'm gonna murder him and roast him over a blazing fire, then feed his haunches to fuckin' adhi!"  
  
"I'm so sorry, Vorn." Kylie bit back a grin as she watched him growl and kick the metal pole, Jaal shooting her an all too amused look. "But even if we save your ass, you're definitely gonna die."  
  
_"God, I know."_

* * *

  
They ran up a metal ramp, dodging bullets before the doors hissed shut behind them and they were propelled forward onto another rainy, metal-filled clearing, various buildings scattered around them with debris piled up in front of them. "Back in my day," Drack started and Kylie exasperatedly sighed, "krogan asked for _permission_ before they went in and started courting their fuckin' kid."  
  
"Dad, that was literally hundreds of years ago." She shot him a tired glare as she holstered her gun. "You're kinda old now and everything's changed. Like, seriously changed." Her foot tapped a box before she crouched down and opened it. "This is literally the only thing you've been talking about for the past fifteen minutes. Chill, Dad."  
  
"No! I'm gonna fuckin' _continue_ to talk about it! They didn't just hop into things without following the proper fuckin' clan traditions!" He kicked open a box, irritably pocketing what little was inside. "Kids these fuckin' days. No goddamn manners in their fuckin' quads, not even a little fuckin' bit."  
  
"Is that why you were so mad at me, Drack?" Jaal quipped in from beside him, a curious brow raised as he rested his sniper rifle against his shoulder. "When I asked Kylie to be my girlfriend, that is. I do happen to remember you pinning me to a wall and threatening to eat my heart, then you proceeded to throw a fit and punch the galley's walls, which I repaired later on."  
  
Drack rolled his eyes while Kylie snorted into a laugh at the thought. "Yes and no. Yes," he pointed at him and the angara raised his hands in defense, "'cause you didn't ask my ass first, and no, 'cause you and that Reyes asshole were confusing her to fuckin' death." He grumbled under his breath, shooting him a dirty look while the girl pointedly ignored them and took off. "Can't tell you how many times she cried to me because she did something that she thought was right and felt bad for it or 'cause she was straight up confused."  
  
The doors beside them suddenly hissed open and gunfire erupted from it, the two jumping into cover while Kylie loudly cursed and bolted ahead, rolling behind a disabled generator and ripping her shot gun out. "Aroane!" Drack called out, peering over from his cover to find the man cowering in fear behind a crate. "Come out so we can talk, man to man!"  
  
"I don't think so, you stupid fucking krogan!" The krogan hid behind his cover as a gunshot flew above his head. Aroane yelled out, his voice trembling. "Stealing your transportation was just step one! Next, we're gonna destroy _everything_ you care about, starting with your goddamn clan!"  
  
"Oh, yeah?" Drack indignantly snorted, shooting a cocky grin over at the girl across from him who rolled her eyes, licking her lips. "Only two things I care about can rip your ass in half with the flick of their wrists! There's only one thing being destroyed here today." He raised his gun above his cover and aimed at the ceiling before his shot gun went off and Aroane jumped from the noise.  
  
"It's gonna be _you_." His voice gradually rose, anger biting behind his words until he was yelling. "And this place. And also your boss. And most definitely your entire fuckin' crew." Kylie bit back a laugh, shooting at the ceiling as his gun went off again, the noise echoing through the room. "So a shit ton of things are gonna get destroyed here, actually -" His eyes met hers and she grinned, nodding her head. "And all of them are _yours_!”  
  
At his final word, the girl rolled away from the generator and charged forward, her mind painfully pulsing as she forced her biotics to comply and swirl the wad of mercenaries up and into the air in a purple mess. Drack threw a frag grenade and she rolled away, bolting back into her cover as Aroane screamed and took off, Jaal’s red sight of his sniper rifle following him the entire way and a shot following his every frantic step.  
  
“Vorn,” Drack started as he picked off more mercenaries, rolling up beside the girl's spot in cover and punching one in the face. “Update." His fist collidied with an adhi and sent it flying, followed by a gunshot. "Now.”  
  
_"They just shooting at the door."_ Vorn's voice was soft with disbelief, more mercenaries falling until their gunfire died down and the last one fell with a sick crunch. _"It's not doing anything so far. I think. I'm pretty good right now."_  
  
"Good," he nodded his head as his hand met Kylie's lower back and she stood, shooting him a cocky grin as they started walking across the room. "Pretty sure we're just right around the corner from you right now. Right?" She nodded as Jaal ran his hand across her braids, brushing her baby hairs out of her face, and the krogan sighed. "Good."  
  
Her omnitool flickered to life and the doors in front of them hissed open, revealing a winding set of metal staircases, one after another in a near endless spiral. She sighed. Loudly. "Holy shit, I'm so sick of stairs."  
  
Jaal chuckled as they made it up the first flight, turning to go up another. "Oh," he grasped her hand, his free hand meeting her lower back and steadying her as they continued. "I know."  
  
"Ore refinery." Drack let out a soft sigh beside them as he glanced around the small room while Kylie smiled up at the angara, the krogan's voice oddly soft. "Been centuries since I've seen anything like this. Kinda makes me feel a little nostalgic, in a weird ass way."  
  
_"I-I'm - I'm in the container on the right."_ Panic bit at Vorn's voice as their footsteps echoed the closer they got to the top of the stairs, the girl bringing up her wrist to open the doors. _"Wait, no - My right, your left! I think they're about to get in! Hurry!"_  
  
The doors hissed open to reveal two mercenaries alternating between kicking and shooting the metal doors. "You're kidding me, right?" Drack rolled his eyes in disbelief as he shot the two mercs and kicked them aside. "Stupid." He stood in front of the crate and listened to the softest pounding from behind its sealed doors. He shot Kylie an amused smirk before he punched the doors and they shot open, sending Vorn stumbling out and faceplanting onto the metal ground. 

Vorn quickly rolled around, grinning up at them with a big, toothy grin and a double thumbs up. "Hi, guys!"  
  
Kylie's face scrunched up with a big, warm smile at his cheesy grin. "I can see why Kesh likes him." She grinned up at the krogan as he gagged, letting out an irritated sigh. "God, let's just fuckin' go." They grabbed his hands and yanked him up while Jaal looked around the room, idly tapping at boxes and containers with his foot before opening them.  
  
"Ha, yeah, about that, listen, okay -" Vorn's eyes widened as he caught the flash of a gun, his eyes following the glimpse as he caught the sight of one of the mercenaries on the floor with her gun raised, aiming right for Drack's head. "Hey!" He called out, his heart stopping as the gun shot and time moved in slow motion. "Drack!" His mind panicked and he jumped forward without a second thought, the older krogan's eyes shooting wide open. "Watch out, Drack!"

His hearts stopped as the bullet ripped through the younger krogan's chest and his body clumped to the floor.


	27. praying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've gotten a few messages asking if this series is over yet and its not!! it still has a few more chapters to go and then i'm gonna make a Sequel so !! stay tuned :^)

A shot ran through the mercenary's head before anyone could think, blood splattering as Jaal stepped up behind the body. He glared down at the corpse through his gun's scope before his head snapped up, worry in his bright eyes. Kylie couldn't breathe. She reached out to grab the younger krogan as he crumpled down and her body fell with his, her voice cracking. "Vorn?!"

"I-I'm - I'm fine," Vorn barely managed through pained coughs, his stomach convulsing as he tried to sit up. Her trembling hands gently propped him up, her arms wrapping around him to support him as he let out a rough, harsh gasp that made her shiver. "I'm fine, I promise -"

"What the _fuck_ were you thinking?!" His booming, deep voice echoed through the room and her blood ran cold. The younger krogan's eyes shot wide open as the man took a step forward and sharply pointed at him. "Why would you _do_ something like that, you jackass?!"

Vorn stared up at him, his brows furrowed and his mouth hanging open in disbelief. "Drack," his voice came out all too shaky as the older krogan crossed the distance, anger radiating through his body. "You're kidding me, right?" She fished around in her belt for her supply of medigel as he continued, his voice wavering. "He was -" She popped open the younger krogan's armor with trembling fingers. "He was going to _shoot_ you."

"You're kidding me, Vorn -" Drack threw his arms up, violently gesturing to himself. "The colony can survive just fine without _me_ , but without your ass?!" He crouched down, grabbing the front of his carapace and yanking him towards him. "Without you and what's in your fuckin' _fool head_ , there's no future for our goddamn people!"

"Dad," Kylie's voice came out as a warning, the krogan's gaze meeting hers. "Chill it." The look in her icy eyes sent a chill down his spine and he let the younger krogan go with a rough sigh, turning away and stomping off. Her fingers got to work massaging the gel onto his gunshot wound. He hissed, his eyes squeezing shut as she finished and popped his chest piece back on. He grasped her shoulders as she carefully stood, pulling him up and steadying him.

"You're always talking like you're expendable," he angrily started as he approached the older krogan, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to look back at him, "but you're _not_. We _need_ you! You're not just some _old soldier_ \- We know what we lost because _you lived it_!"

Their gazes locked, silence falling between them as the older krogan's eyes slowly narrowed. He swallowed thickly, ripping his gaze away and glaring down at the floor. A low growl rumbled deeply in his chest before his foot slammed into the wall, denting it. Vorn looked back at the girl then back to the krogan, his hands balling and unballing into fists as he fought against himself. He sighed and finally turned away. "I need to get some stuff 'fore we go. You talk to him, you're his daughter."

"Dad," she said softly as she approached him, her hand reaching out to grab his shoulder. He shrugged her off and she swallowed down the hurt that hit her _hard_. Her lips pressed together to keep them from quivering, her nostrils flaring. "You're kidding me, right? You're not this _thing_ that nobody cares about or doesn't need around. Your clan _needs_ you, the Initiative _needs_ you," she grabbed his shoulder again and he glared at her from over his shoulder, "and I'll be damned if I don't _need_ your fucking old ass."

"I can't believe that you'd just blindly fucking believe that - That you're," she sharply shrugged and shook her head as her voice rose, her brows furrowed. "After everything you've told me and shit? What the fuck?" His jaw tensed as she continued, his eyes softening. "I can't tell you how much shit you've taught me that's saved my life! If I didn't have you here right now? I probably wouldn't be here. I'd be fucking _dead_ and I'm one-hundred percent sure you could vouch for that. You're my fucking _dad_ , you dumbass." 

"And I need you just as much, Drack." Jaal started from behind her and the krogan irritably growled, shaking his head incredulously. "Quads, not you too. Holy  _shit_  -"

Drack slammed his fist into the wall before he pushed away from it, his grip on his gun tightening tenfold. "We don't have the fuckin' time for this!" He glared down at it, flexing his hand before grabbing it and holding it up. "We have a transport to get before these jackasses take off with it!"               

"Drack." The krogan's head snapped back at his name, catching her gaze. A shiver ran down his spine at her look - Her nostrils flared and her icy eyes set in an angry gaze. "We're not done here." She said, unholstering her gun. "We're talking about this later, _Drack_."

"No, we're fuckin' not, _Kylie_." She stepped towards him at his snap, her eyes narrowing as he glared down at her. Her mouth opened to speak -

"I'm ready to go!" Vorn's nervous laugh cut the tension and they turned to glance back at him.

"Oh, hell fuckin' no." Drack fervently shook his head, stepping forward and grabbing the krogan's collar. " _You_! You stay right fuckin' _here_!" He pointed at the ground. "I'm not gonna be the one to tell Kesh you fuckin' died like a goddamn idiot right after confessin' your love for her." A sharp push away sent the younger krogan stumbling. "Goddamn!"

Kylie looked over at the younger krogan while the older one stomped off, her gaze slowly trailing over to the angara as he shot her a very confused look. She shrugged her shoulders, taking off after him. "Dad -"

"Yeah, this'll do," he grumbled to himself, tapping a few spots on the wall. A final tap and a settled position caused a slow, big grin to tug at his lips. Her brows furrowed in suspicion. "Dad, what are you -"

"Incoming!" The wall gave way and shattered into pieces, rubble flying and wires sparking as his body jolted through to the other side. A loud, haughty laugh escaped him at the mercenaries running scared and he raised his gun, cocking it. "Hi."

An eruption of bullets rained down through the room as the girl and the angara bolted ahead, rolling into cover across from each other. _"Oh, wow. Okay,"_ Kylie snorted into their comms, her body slightly trembling from the recoil of her gun. _"That was wickedly cool, but I'm still mad at you, Dad."_

 _"Ha!"_ His booming laugh made her bite back a grin. _"Sounds about right, ru'shan. Nice shot, by the way. Seems like you remembered what I taught you."_ She rolled her eyes, sprinting forward and slamming her omnitool's blade into a mercenary's chest, followed by a shot to their head. _"I always remember what you taught me, Dad. Strike then shoot then shoot again. I'm not that dense."_

 _"You're not dense at all,"_ Jaal quipped in, her icy blue eyes catching his sniper rifle's red sight as a bullet ran past her head and right through a mercenary's right behind her. _"You're one of the smartest women I've ever met in my life."_

 _"God, you fuckin' charmer."_ She shot him a toothy, little grin and he smirked. A loud, irritated groan sounded through their comms, only making her burst into giggles as she ran into another spot of cover. _"He is a charmer! You can't be disgusted by charmers - All they do is charm."_

"God," the krogan loudly grumbled as another enemy fell and they progressed further into the clearing, changing positions and finding new places for cover as more bodies fell. "Enough of this sappy bullshit that I'm definitely not in the mood for -"

 _"Um... Drack?"_ Vorn's voice nearly made his eyes bulge out of his head. _"The seed vault is still on the transport."_ That definitely made his eyes bulge. _"I hit the locks before they managed to catch me."_

"Good thinkin' with those locks, Vorn." He whistled as he kicked a corpse out of his way as he darted around metal crates and hid behind one of the many, empty storage containers. _"T-Thank you, Sir."_

"Don't get too cocky just yet, son." the krogan's brows furrowed, shooting his omnitool a pointed glare. "Doesn't change the fact that you still got your ass caught."

 _"I - Yes, Sir."_ His eyes glanced at the girl beside him only to find a big, cheeky grin on her face. He stared at her, his brows slowly furrowing before he lifted his gun and shot down a mercenary that darted out of cover in front of them. "What?"

"Oh," she idly shrugged, thumbing the trigger of her gun as she glanced over their cover. "You called him 'son'."

He sharply upturned his gun at her teasing, little voice and faced her, flipping her right off. Her eyes shot wide open, biting back a huge grin as he glared her down. "I  don't wanna hear a single word out of your goddamn mouth, ru'shan."

Kylie really just couldn't help herself - She burst into snorty laughter, rolling ahead and jumping behind a box. _"I heard that, Dad. You think he's your son now? What, do I have a brother now?"_ She glanced over at him, catching him positively seething with anger.  _"I don't need another one of those."_

 _"Fuckin' stop it, ru'shan!"_ She could almost feel his growl through their comms as she rolled around, dodging an enemy and shooting him right in the head. 

 _"Ah,"_ the angara wistfully sighed through their comms as a bullet soared right by her head, landing in the mercenary's ahead of her. _"There is truly nothing like Father-Daughter love."_

 _"Goddamn!"_   The two bursting into laughter was enough to make him scream. _"I'm so fucking tired -"_ Drack's deep growl was broken by Aroane's voice flooding the overhead comms, his voice frantic and wavering. _"40,000 credits, please! Why aren't they dead?! They should've been dead hours ago!"_

 _"Aroane knows this is serious now,"_ Jaal shot the girl a wary look, their gazes catching as they turned and watched as Drack pummeled his way through a barrage of mercs, knocking the last one to the floor. The krogan huffed, holstering his gun. "Yeah, well, it sucks to be his ass right now. Let's fucking move. I'm tired of this goddamn place."

"Same here," the girl added in as they made their way onto the ramp and she hit the button to activate it. It gradually whirred to life, faintly creaking as it slowly ascended. "Though, probably not as tired of it as you are, Dad."

"Shut up, ru'shan. I'm not afraid to kick your ass, y'know." His brows slowly furrowed as he glowered down at her. The corner of her lips curled up into a smirk and he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh," she caught sight of the shuttle atop the building, her finger pointing at it. "There's the transport! Glad it didn't take off."

"Yeah. Vorn," the older krogan patted the younger krogan's back, "get to work on overriding the controls when we get up there and we'll cover your ass." He warily caught the older krogan's gaze and pressed his lips together, gravely nodding his head. Drack's eyes softened, his hand squeezing his shoulder. "You'll be good, kid. Trust me."

Kylie snorted as the ramp came to a stop. "There you go again, Dad." He groaned loudly as she continued, burying his face in his hands as they walked off of the ramp. "First son, now kid? I almost feel kinda jealous." His hand grasped his gun and ripped it out of its holster. "Let's just get this shit show over with, goddamn."

Vorn took off to the controls as the other two unholstered their guns and they ran for cover, gunshots breaking from across the clearing. The sudden, frantic voice of Aroane filled the loudspeakers, her brows furrowing as he rambled. _"I don't care what you have to do! Kill them all and kill them **now**! I'm not dying here today!"_

"Yeah, you are!" Drack yelled out, his voice coming to a sudden stop as the rain slowly began to kick up, the soft drizzle falling into a hard downpour and soaking them down to their bones in their heavy armor. "Of course," she shot an exasperated glare over to the krogan beside her, "it would start to rain heavy as shit, right?"

"Our fuckin' luck." His body slightly jolted from the recoil of his weapon before he switched to his shot gun and stood. "Can't even get a good fuckin' shot in this rain. I'm goin' in." She nodded her head as he jumped over cover and cried out, charging into the mass of enemies. "I'll keep you covered, Dad." 

"At least the shuttle is still there," the angara quipped as he sidled up beside her, his back pressed against hers as he took out a mercenary advancing on them. "Oh, true." She snorted, softly tapping his shoulder. He leaned back with a brow quirked up and she leaned in, giving him a quick kiss. He grinned, the happiest look on his face as he turned around to help her take out more flooding in from ahead.

The steady trickle of mercenaries slowly started dying down, bodies littering the clearing ahead and on both ramps off to each side. "I think," Kylie let out a sharp sigh, her brows furrowing as she glanced around the empty area to look for any hidden mercenaries. "I think they're finally starting to die down."

"Yeah, 'cause we're killin' them all." A cocky grin on the krogan’s face made her roll her eyes as she holstered her gun. “Yep.” Her hand reached for the angara's and laced her fingers with his as they made their way back to the docking controls. “Everything good here, Vorn?”

The younger krogan was hyper-focused on the controls, his fingers moving as quickly as possible while his unblinking eyes stared down at the terminal. “Almost,” he barely managed, his brows furrowing. Slowly, the whir of the transport revving for liftoff gradually died down until it fell into an eerie quiet. “There –“ A gun cocked behind his head and his body tensed, his eyes widening – “Don’t move.”

Her gun whipped out faster than her mind could process, aiming right at Aroane’s head as the angara and the krogan beside her stepped forward. Vorn’s hands shot up, his eyes wide and his quivering mouth falling open. “I’m taking this transport,” Aroane said, his wide eyes locked with the girl’s and his hand trembling on his gun’s trigger.

“Are you serious?” Kylie scoffed, glaring at him down the barrel of her gun. “You’re seriously trying this? Think this through – Three against one, all we have to do is pull our trigger before you have a second to think and you’re dead.”

“I’m dead anyways!” His voice cried out, the grip on his gun tightening and Vorn’s eyes squeezing shut in anticipation. “The moment that stupid krogan gets his hands on me, I’m dead! So, you’re going to relax, step back, and let me take this fucking shuttle without a fight.” A pause. "Or else."

"'Or else'?" The older krogan rolled his eyes, a sharp scoff escaping him as he shook his head. “I’m not the one you need to worry about,” his eyes caught the sight of Vorn’s hand ever-so-slightly moving, grasping something off of the bench beside the docking controls.

A squelch sounded as he squeezed it, gas slowly perfuming the air and flooding the man’s senses behind him. Aroane started sputtering and coughing, his grip on his gun faltering slightly. “Just – Just you w-wait, until I –“ He coughed, falling back a step, “until I –“ His body trembled as he stumbled backwards and fell to his knees, his breathing labored and heavy. “Oh, my God – Oh, my God!” He fell to the floor with a gasp.

The girl took a cautious step forward and Drack rushed ahead, pushing her out of the way and blocking her while Vorn frantically waved his hands. “Don’t come any closer!” He said, holding his arms out. “It’ll affect anyone who isn’t krogan. It’s some pretty strong stuff.”

“Time to take out the trash,” the older krogan drawled, a slow, haughty laugh punctuating his words as he walked forward. He grabbed the man’s body by his ankle, dragging him face-down to the edge of the rooftop as the girl followed after him.

Vorn looked over at Jaal and grinned. “My first live specimen test. Doesn’t last long, but it sure works fast.” He beamed while the angara hummed in amusement, giving him a big, broad smile as he stepped closer to him. “Intriguing – Just how does it work?” His eyes lit up at his question. "Oh, it's easy -"

Drack dangled the man’s body over the edge of the roof while Kylie crouched down to be at his eye level. "Wake up." She tapped at him with the barrel of her gun. His hazy eyes slowly fluttered open, staring at the woman in front of him before his eyes glanced around, growing frantic as realization hit him – “W-What?!”

“Hey.” Kylie grinned as he desperately flailed around and the krogan snorted. “So, you’re probably wondering how you got in this position, right?" He nearly whimpered, his eyes meeting hers. A cruel look danced in them and his widened. “You – You wouldn’t dare!” A gasp. “You’re just bluffing!”

Drack’s brows furrowed, pointedly glaring down at him. He looked over at the woman, an equally amused look on her face before he looked back at Aroane. “Did you really just say that, to our faces?”

“Oh, man.” Kylie grimaced, twisting her hand as she spoke. “You see, we’re not really game for bluffs. That’s not our style and definitely not what we do in my crew.” She watched him as he frantically started begging, his eyes wide and his limbs flailing as he fought against the krogan’s iron grip. She looked up at him, scrunching up her nose in thought. “Drop him.”

“No! No, wait! I – I know things! I can help you with Spender, you can’t do this -”

Drack haughtily laughed as he let go of his ankle, watching as his body soared down, his screams echoing through the air. “I can do whatever the hell I want to do to, jackass.” They watched as his body disappeared and his screams slowly died down before their gazes met and he lazily grinned at her. “Nice choice, ru’shan. Knew you’d pick it.”

“Well, what can I say? You know me well, Dad.” She took his hand and he pulled her up, the happiest smile on his face as they walked back towards the other two. “Let’s get outta here.” Her hand grasped the angara’s and he squeezed it. “We got the transport and the seed vault and his ass has been… Taken care of.”

* * *

  
Vorn was the first to speak up and break the tense silence, the shuttle turning and causing their bodies to lean to the side. “You’re not expendable, Drack.” His voice came out soft, almost barely audible over the shuttle’s hum. "I can't believe you'd think like that of yourself. You're a living relic at this point."

“Uh-uh! We are _not_ having this conversation.” The older krogan immediately shook his head, holding his hand out in the younger one’s face beside him. His arms folded over his chest. “End of discussion.”

Kylie snorted across from him, her hands on her lap as she leaned forward. “Dad, you’re _not_ expendable. You gotta stop being so suicidal all the time.” Her voice made him scoff, his boot reaching out to tap at the tip of her's. “Ru’shan, we’re not having this conversation.”

“You’re not expendable,” Jaal added in as the girl tapped his shoe back, his brow quirked up as the krogan let out a loud, annoyed groan and relaxed back into his seat. His body slid forward, his eyes falling shut and his arms folding across his chest. “I hate you _all_. Let me be old and cranky in peace, suicide idealization and more.”

“What?" She gasped. "Everyone? Even me, your own daughter?” Her eyes widened, her hand dramatically pressing over her heart in mock hurt as she fell back against her seat. Jaal snorted, shaking his head.

His eye cracked open, his lips pursed as he stared at her for an uncomfortably long time. She cutely pouted at him and he scoffed, an uncontrollable grin on his face. “Except you, ru’shan. I love _you,_ " he pointed at her, then circled around to the others. "Everyone else can fuck right off, though.”

* * *

  
A shaky sigh came through the medbay doors as they hissed open and her steps faltered. Drack leaned forward on his elbows, his face buried in his hands as Lexi stood over him with her datapad raised and worry in her eyes. “What’s…?” She didn’t want to ask, almost. “What’s going on?”

Lexi didn't even look at her. “He took a pretty hard hit back on that mission." She let out a soft sigh. "I was afraid he’d jostled or disconnected something, but I’m not finding anything...” Her voice trailed off, her brows slowly furrowing. “Move your arm again?”

Drack slightly lifted it before he winced and it fell with a crack. “The readings won’t change, Bluebutt.” He swallowed thickly, his eyes falling shut. “Still hurts like a bitch, though.” Pain bit at the edges of his voice and her heart dropped as she made her way over to him.

Kylie very gently sat down beside him, snaking her arm around his shoulders and pulling him against her. He let out the softest sigh, utterly relaxing into her touch. “Well,” the asari started, “your prosthetics are still syncing properly. Your neuropathy induced pain levels are…” She hesitated, her eyes softening as she stared at him. “Consistent.”

Slowly, he opened his eyes and caught her gaze, a slight smile curling at the corner of his lips as worry tugged at her blue features. “I’m used to it, Bluebutt.” His voice fell soft as his hand reached out to grab her free one. “It’s okay." He squeezed it and she swallowed thickly. "Don’t go worryin' yourself into a coma about it. I'll live.”

"No." Her eyes squeezed shut and she pulled her hand away from his. “No, Drack,” her hand balled into a fist, the other squeezing her datapad tightly. “It’s _not_ okay! You shouldn’t be in pain every single day of your life!” She took in a sharp inhale, her gaze ripping away from him as she let out a shaky breath. “You keep fighting smart, okay?” He didn’t answer. She looked at him, the look in her eyes intense. “You hear me?”

Drack couldn't handle it - He slowly looked away from her, his eyes focusing on the girl's lap beside him. Her heart fell. “You don’t have much left in terms of organ redundancies, Drack. One reckless move could be your last move." Her voice wavered. "And I don't want to have to deal with that.”

The girl swallowed thickly, forcing herself to look up at the asari. Her lip quivered. “Please tell me he’s okay. I can't - I need him around," she sniffled, holding herself back as tears pricked at her eyes. "His grandkids need his ass around.”

“I... He’s – He’s fine.” A knot formed in her throat as she watched the girl quickly wipe at her teary blue eyes. “He’s just old and missing too many parts.” Her datapad whacked his knee, earning a haughty, weak chuckle from him. “And too stubborn for his own good.”  

He snorted, holding his hand out towards her. “You love me just the way I am, Bluebutt.”

Lexi groaned. Loudly. “You know it.” She touched his hand and turned away, heading for her desk. He made a move to stand and she pointed back at him without looking, his body tensing. “If you get off of that table before the scans are done, I'll be the thing that takes you out.”

“What's hurting you, Dad?” Kylie’s voice was all too soft for her likings as he settled back down, his brows irritably furrowed. He stared down at his legs, falling silent in thought. A glance over at her made him hesitate, a sigh leaving him.

“Arms, side, hip, part of my leg – Strain balancing threading across my spine.” Drack glanced over at the asari before he slowly stood up, taking the girl’s hand and pulling her along with him. “It’s all nothin' but prosthetics and implants.”

"What?" Kylie let out a soft gasp as she followed him, the two approaching the medbay window. Her hand gently squeezed his and he looked back at her, her dark brows furrowed and her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find the words. “And why didn’t you tell me that before? Are you kidding?”

“I didn’t want you to worry.” His hearts squeezed in his chest, his hand slowly falling from hers. It hurt to look at her. A shaky sigh left him as he leaned forward on his elbows, staring out of the window. “Made it through the krogan rebellion. Watched my culture disintegrate. Survived centuries as a merc and all sorts of pirate shenanigan shit like Liam took you on.”

Silence fell between them. He swallowed thickly, his eyes squeezing shut as the memory flashed through his mind and he grimaced. “A _thousand_ years of combat experience and all it took was one idiot with a pack of frag grenades and a loose hand. Let my guard down for _one_ second and I was done.”

“You’re kidding me.” Her hand met his shoulder and he turned his head, leaning his head against hers as she settled down behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He gently shook his head. “I kid you not.”

“Holy shit,” she let out a soft breath, her eyes squeezing shut. "That had to be hard. I can't imagine frag grenades being the thing that took you down." Her arms squeezed around him and his hands came to rest over hers. "I gotta tell Liam to throw his away whenever I take you and him with me anywhere."

He snorted. "It's fine, but yeah. It got… Bad." His hands squeezed hers, a shaky sigh leaving him. "Pretty bad. I hit some dark moments – Implant rejection after implant rejection, prosthetics not syncing properly. Everything hurt. A lot. All the time." A pause, his eyes glaring down. "No purpose to anything.”

“I know how that feels.” She said softly, her heart squeezing in her chest. "Way too well, actually."

“I know. That's why I got on your ass all the time." His eyes opened and his head tilted to look at her, her eyes opening and catching his gaze. "Saw myself in you. Decided, I'm not letting that kid, my kid, fall into the same pit of despair I fell right into." The smile she gave him almost made him tear up. He cleared his throat, looking away from her. "And I… I definitely fell right into that goddamn pit."

"Almost went through with it." Her soft gasp made him falter. "Almost bein' the key word. But then some Shaman shows up, drops the _tiniest_ little baby girl in my lap. ‘This one’s dying,’ he said. ‘This one’s trouble,’ he said. _Useless_ ," his voice cracked with anger, his nostrils flaring, "is what he meant. Reminds me of how I found you, tryin' to not kill yourself while the Initiative shat on you."

She fell quiet, her thumbs lightly tracing soft circles over his armored shoulder. “Yeah," a soft chuckle left her, swallowing thickly as she held back the sudden prick of tears. "Those were... Really hard times. But he wasn’t just talking about that baby, was he?”

“Yeah." His shoulders fell slack in defeat. "I was useless, too – But…” A trembling, deep breath, his eyes searching the glass. “Wasn’t just about me anymore, so I sucked it up and got help. Learned how to take care of myself, take care of her. And that little baby took care of me.”

“She was your lifeline.” Her voice was soft, gentle and it made his hearts squeeze painfully. He nodded his head. “Yeah, like you." His hands squeezed hers tighter. "Wasn’t easy on us, though. I’m old, stuck in my ways, and Kesh?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Kesh has wanted to change _everything_ since she could talk. Raising Kesh taught me one hell of an important lesson.”

A slow, happy grin danced across her face and she looked up at him. “You better tell me all about it.”

“Damn right I will." He pulled back, taking her hands and holding them as he faced her. "Listen up. Parents aren’t meant to be a goal or a finish line. We’re a starting line – Where you go from there?" His hands squeezed hers, bringing them to his chest. "That’s all you. Remember that, ‘specially for when your kid pops out of you. And lemme tell you somethin', ru'shan -”

"I'm not going any-fuckin-where until that kid pops out, grows up, grows old, and I walk down their own fuckin' wedding with them and they pop out their own grandkids." Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes and she almost lost it, taking in a shaky breath as he pulled her into a crushing hug. "And I'm sure as hell not goin' anywhere as long as my ru'shan needs me." 


	28. blinds

“So, you ready for tonight?” His giddy voice broke her from her trance on the datapad in her hands, her dark brows furrowing as she irritably looked up at the brunette sat across from her. He cheekily grinned and she pursed her lips, a brow quirking up in curiosity as she slightly tilted the datapad down. “Do I even wanna know what I’m supposed to be ready for?”

"Movie night, Lala!" Liam snorted, leaning back in his seat at the galley table. “It’s _tonight._ I know you and Suvi figured out that potential place for Meridian and you wanna hit it in the next few days, so I…” He shrugged. “I figured, better now than never. Especially now 'cause you _definitely_ need a break. Stressing yourself out while you're pregnant is not somethin' you really wanna do."

Her lips pursed and she glared at him with tired, bloodshot eyes, her hand rubbing at her temple as he continued. "We’ve got everything we need ready – Popcorn, snacks, drinks. I even got Sam to hook up the sound to this huge old-fashioned boom box someone smuggled in.” She shot him an incredulous look, slowly setting the datapad down. Her voice hesitated. “Boombox?”

“Yep! Straight up, boombox.” Kylie idly nodded her head as a giddy laugh bit danced his words and she cleared her throat, trying to hold back a laugh. "Um," her lips pressed together, leaning forward and propping her chin up on her hand. “So, you got a boombox. You got old-fashioned music with that old-fashioned boombox?”

“If you’re asking me if I got Britney Spears in the lineup,” he shot a quick glance around the empty kitchen, a thick brow quirking up as he leaned in closer and his voice grew low into a soft whisper, “I got the hookup.” His hand gestured to his omnitool, her eyes glancing down to catch the slight outline of an old-Earth album floating on its screen. Her jaw dropped.

“No way!” A squeal very nearly left her as she grinned from ear to ear, slamming her fist down on the table and nodding her head. “Aw, shit! You got me. It’s a fuckin’ date, Lola.”

“Sweet! I knew you’d totally be in at that.” The corners of his lips curled up into a cocky grin, leaning forward on both of his elbows as he nodded his head. “I told everyone we’re having it in your room. Biggest spot in the entire ship, so that’s obvious.”

Her eyes shot wide open, her smile faltering. “Wait, what?”

“Uh, oh. Shit.” His chocolate eyes shot wide open and he sharply cursed under his breath, his cheeky grin faltering as he remembered – He told everyone _except_ her. “Uh - That’s why I’m telling you _now_!" He stammered, a nervous chuckle escaping him. "So, now you have a few hours to clean, y’know?” Her jaw dropped and he idly shrugged, a near-tremble in his grin. “Come on, Lala. I know how messy it is in there – I stayed there for a long ass time before you and Jaal became a thing.”

“Jesus Christ,” she pushed the datapad out of her way and leaned forward, burying her face in her hands. A soft blush colored her cheeks, “don’t remind me.”

“You give the most amazing cuddles, though!” The brunette caught her gaze as she shot him an irritated glare through her splayed fingers and he smiled. She pursed her lips, leaning back in her seat as her hands fell from her face. “Uh, you're pushing your luck now, Lola.”

“And you called it a sleepover every night, especially when you'd get really happy.” Her body shot up at his words, grasping the datapad from the table. “You’re losing me,” she shook her head as she powered the datapad off.

“And you have the cutest conversations in your sleep. Especially when they're about Jaal, which you seem to have a plethora of nicknames you secretly call him." Her eyes shot wide open as her brows furrowed and her body tensed. "Not to mention that one time you sat up and grabbed ahold of my big toe when you were having a pretty intense dream. Scared the shit outta me, too.”

“Yep, gone.” She walked past him, heading for the door. He called out after her, cupping his hands over his mouth and nearly screaming after her. “And you used to sleep talk about how much you wanted to kiss Jaal! And Kandros, too!”

Kylie shot a death glare over her shoulder at him before she sharply turned away with a huff, ignoring the smug grin on his face. She waved over her shoulder as she walked through the doors. “Bye!”

* * *

  
The doors hissed open to reveal her favorite angara lounging on their bed, her glasses on his face as he stared down at the datapad in his hands, immersed in it. His eyes flickered up at the sound and he did a double take, his face lighting up at the sight of her. “Darling one,” he grinned, sitting up and setting the datapad off to the side.

“Hey, babe.” She made her way over to the bed and leaned forward, grasping his jaw and pulling him into a quick kiss. “Why you wearin’ my glasses?” Her hands grasped her glasses and pulled them off his face as she leaned back, folding them up and sitting them on her nightstand.

“Ah,” Jaal reached for them again and she swatted his hands away. He pouted and she scoffed. “I was curious to see how they worked. I know you would’ve been mad if I had taken them apart, so I decided to wear them to see what the difference is.”

“And?” Kylie asked, a dark brow quirking up as she turned her attention to the nightstand and began to move a few things around. "What did you find?" She hesitated as she picked up an empty glass, torn between taking it away to clean it and just leaving it there because they use it so often.

“They make things…” He paused, searching for the words. “Blurry.”

She rolled her eyes as she sat the glass back down, crouching down to open the drawers to the nightstand. “Well, they will be for you. I just have to wear them when I read ‘cause I have shitty reading sight or whatever." Her eyes glanced up at him from her spot. "It’s _Andromeda_ , you’d think they’d have made something so I wouldn’t have to wear -”

A loud, hard slam sounded in the nightstand and broke her train of thought. An array of her books came stumbling out, scattering on and around her legs as she fell onto her ass and she huffed. Loudly.

Jaal burst into laughter, falling back against the bed as his hands clutched his stomach. “You are so endearingly cute, my love.” He sat up and leaned over the side of the bed, picking up some of the fallen books to free her and sitting them beside him on the bed.

“I know,” she irritably sighed as she picked up more of her books, carefully fixing their covers as she stacked them in a neat pile back inside of the stand. “I can’t believe they fell – I didn’t even touch them!”

“You just have a magical touch.” He grinned and she shot him a pointed look. A splayed hand came up at her in his defense, his shoulders idly shrugging as he looked all too smug. “It works on me the most, however.”

“You’re lucky I love you so much, you big, cute doofus.” She pushed up onto her knees and grabbed the stack of books from him, sitting back on her heels and placing them back where they belonged.  “Did you hear? Movie night’s tonight, so we gotta clean our place up a little bit.” Her eyes glanced around the messy room, her shoulders relaxing in defeat. “Or, a lot.”

Jaal bit back a grin and hummed. “I believe I had heard something of that nature earlier, but I wasn’t sure.” He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood, bending over to card his fingers through her coiled hair and kiss the top of her head. “I suppose we should get started if we’re going to be finished by tonight.”

“God, I know.” A whine escaped her as she glared down at her lap, her eyes squeezing shut. “There’s so much shit - If push comes to shove, we can just…” She glanced over at him and he quirked up a brow at her. “I don’t even know, shove everything into our closet?”

His hand paused as he reached for their desk, hanging in the air as his brows furrowed the longer he stared at her. “We have a closet?”

“No, we don’t.” Her body fell forward, burying her face in her hands. “Wishful thinking.” She mumbled into her hands and sighed as she stood up, taking in the mess that is their room. Piles upon piles of clothes, boxes, and various clutter covered the vast majority; There was barely even a space for them to walk through. “I don’t even know where to start first.”

“You could always,” a soft hum rumbled in his chest as he paused in thought, placing the scattered pens back into their holder. He grinned, glancing back at her. “Close your eyes and walk around until you fall into a pile.” She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed, turning his attention back to the papers crumpled up on their desk.

“Wow, amazing idea.” Kylie scoffed, bending over to pick up a huge chunk of combined clothing and balling them up, tossing them into the laundry basket across from her. “You know, this is probably from when Jay was staying in our room before him and Liam were a thing. Now, all he does is sleep in that fuckin’ cargo hold on that damn couch.” She walked over to the basket, thumbing the edges. “I don’t know how their backs can handle it.”

“I highly doubt they’re truly sleeping, my love.” She froze, her grip on the basket faltering as she picked it up. Her head tilted to look back at him, only to find him lounging on her desk chair and lazily smirking at her. “God, you dirty little bitch.”

He snorted, spinning the chair back to face the desk. “I’m your dirty little bitch.”

“Oh, yeah.” She walked a few steps forward, picking up another pile of clothing with her foot before grasping them and tossing them into the basket. “You are.”

A soft glint caught his attention, his brows furrowing as he moved a stack of scribbled-on papers out of the way to reveal a set of dog tags. He quirked up a brow, picking them up and holding them up to the light to read the name etched in the metal. “Rey –“ His bright eyes shot wide open and his heart skipped a beat, his chair spinning around to face her. “My love,” he hesitated as she looked back at him, his brows furrowing as he glanced from the tags to her. “Why do you have Reyes’ dog tags?”

“Oh, shit,” she sat the basket down and crossed the distance to her chair, gently taking them from him and running her fingers over the cool metal. “I totally forgot about these. Remember back when Keema messaged me to say that Reyes was missing and we pretty much ransacked his place?” Her hand reached out to grasp his shoulder as she sat down on his lap, turning to the side as his arms wrapped around her waist.

He nodded. “I found them on his desk. After everything we’d found there, I thought he was dead and he was…” She sighed, her thumb brushing over the cool metal. “He was a really good friend to me, you know? I wanted something I could have to mourn him, like I did with my implant that my mom made me.”

"Oh," his heart faltered. “My love,” she looked up at him, his voice all too soft as his hands clasped over hers, squeezing them shut over the dog tags, and brought them to his chest. “I’ve been meaning to ask you this for awhile, but I have always seemed to forget or we would get too busy for me to remember to.”

“Yeah?” She smiled at him and he nearly melted, his words hesitating as his eyes stared down at her lips before they met her gaze. “Why do you go by ‘Kylie’?”

“Um…” A slight twitch of a grin curled at the corner of her lips, her brows furrowing as she swallowed thickly. “It’s my name, Jellybean.”

“No, it’s not.” His fingers trailed up her back, pausing as his hand grasped her shoulder and his bioelectricity skipped. “Janelle is your name, my love. Our mother told me that back when she first woke up on the Hyperion.”

“I - I… It’s…” Her gaze fell to their laps, her hands falling from his hands and down to her lap, the dog tags lightly clinking. A soft sigh left her at the cold metal touching her legs and her shoulders fell in defeat, her head tilting back. “It’s really hard to explain, Jaal. I've been in a pretty good mental place lately, I don't know if I can talk about this right now.”

“I’m here for you, my love. You know that you can tell me anything,” a big, soft hand came to rest over hers and her eyes squeezed shut, swallowing thickly as her mind fought against her heart. "I would never, ever judge you or make fun of you, no matter what."

“Yeah. Yeah, I know. It’s because…” A deep breath, her shoulders falling slack. “After Mom died, I decided… If I’m stuck going to a galaxy I didn’t even want to go to in the first place, I’m going as the person that I’ve always wanted to be – I left Janelle, the drug addict, the alcoholic, the emotional train-wreck unable to deal with her emotions in ways other than hacking into herself, behind in the Milky Way and when I woke up, I told everyone to call me Kylie.”

“I – I really tried to convince myself that this is me, now." Her gaze slowly trailed across the room, her heart feeling heavy. "I remember looking at myself in that mirror over there by my dresser and thinking I was the most pathetic piece of shit in all of Andromeda. Now, I feel… I don’t know. Being with you has made me see myself in a way different light than before. I don’t know how to describe it, but I’m so incredibly grateful for you.”

A moment of silence fell between them. Her breath left her in a soft, deep rush as she slowly looked back at him. A pause, her mouth opening and closing before she found the words. “Maybe I could go by Janelle again. But, I… I don’t know." Her fingers fumbled in her lap. "God, I don't know. I don’t know if I can handle that.”

“No matter what you decide to do," his fingers grasped her chin and gently tilted her head up, catching her gaze. "Know that I will always wholly and unconditionally support you with whatever you want to do.” He brought her hand to his mouth, kissing just below her engagement ring. “I will always love you, no matter what."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Whether you decide to remain as Kylie, my beautiful, amazing, and lovely fiancée, who has managed to capture the hearts of many, including mine, by just her wit and charm – Or, as Janelle, my equally as beautiful, amazing, and lovely fiancée, troubled past and all." A soft pause, a gentle smile on his face. "That I would love to know more about, if you are willing.”

She grinned as she swallowed back the softest prick of tears, blinking them away as she cradled his jaw and pulled him down into a kiss. “You’re amazing, you know that? I love you.”

“I love you _more_.” Jaal couldn’t contain the big, giddy smile on his face, his heart feeling full the longer he stared at her and his bright eyes heavily lidded. Her thumb slowly skimmed across his cheek before she cleared her throat and reluctantly pulled away from him, idly brushing her hoodie off. “I…” She started, glancing back at him before putting on the dog tags and walking back over to her basket. “We should get back to cleaning before this place turns into even more of a pig-sty behind our backs.”

“Pig…” His brows furrowed as he stood. “Sty?”

“Idiom.”

“Shit.”

* * *

  
“Okay,” a long, deep sigh left her as she relaxed back onto their perfectly-made bed, her arms stretching out as a yawn left her and he slinked over to the bed. “I think we’re finally done, Jellybean.” She lifted her head and glanced around the room, nodding as she took in the near-pristine appearance of it. "Like, about time, really."

"I believe so." He sighed as he plopped down beside her, causing her body to bounce before he pulled her against him and into a soft kiss. She grinned, trailing her fingers along his jaw before he laid back and lazily stretched out. “I'm not sure how long that took us, but it was too long.” He murmured before rolling to his side and wrapping his arms back around her. “It’s a miracle we even managed it.” He paused. “Sam, what’s the time?”

_“It is approximately 20:00.”_

Her eyes shot wide open, her mouth falling open as she looked over at him. “We’ve been cleaning for _four hours_?” She groaned, pushing herself back into her pillow and letting out a loud whine. “Are you kidding me? No wonder I feel dead right now.”

“Well,” a soft kiss pressed against her cheek and she turned her head to catch it, capturing him in a soft, sweet kiss. His eyes slowly fell shut, his hand cradling his jaw as he murmured against her lips. “Our room was extremely messy, my love.” She sighed into another kiss, turning to face him and relaxing her arm around his waist. “Yeah, I know it was. Whatever.”

Her gaze caught his as his eyes slowly opened and she sighed, her thumb brushing under his eye. He smiled and her heart skipped. She bit her bottom lip, resisting the intense urge to kiss him again. “As much as I love it when you're all cute and snuggly, I think we should get up.” She begrudgingly pulled away from him and sat up, running her fingers through her coiled hair as she stared over at the clock on her desk. “I know Liam wanted to drag his couch in here for more seats, so maybe you should go see if he needs help.”

“Alright,” a loud sigh left him as he sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He paused. “And perhaps you should go see if Vetra has that…” He hesitated at the word, standing up and fixing his rofjinn as his free hand twisted in the air. “Popcorn, I believe? That you have wanted so bad lately.”

She glared at him and rolled her eyes at his little smirk. “It’s because it’s my favorite thing ever and Andromeda has been very lacking in the snack department so far.” He took a step away and she nearly squeaked, reaching out for him. “Wait, doofus!” He paused, glancing back at her as she rolled across the bed and padded her way to him before grasping his rofjinn yanking him down into a kiss. “You didn’t give me a goodbye kiss! God, who are you?”

A deep, happy laugh rumbled in his chest and against her lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him and into another kiss. “Stars forbid,” he started as he slightly pulled away, their noses brushing and a grin pressing into their kiss, “that I do not kiss my beautiful fiancée as much as I should.”

“Shame on you.” She giggled as he chuckled and they melted back into another kiss, her arms loosely wrapping around his neck. A soft sigh escaped her as she slightly pulled back, swallowing thickly. “Let’s get back to what we were doing before we get way too carried away here.”

“Oh,” his shoulders fell, his bright eyes searching her icy ones, “I suppose.” He stood still, his arms still wrapped around her body and holding her there. She quirked a brow up at him and he pouted, reluctantly letting his arms slowly fall from her sides before he grasped her jaw and pulled her into another kiss.

A snort left her as she pushed against his chest and his hands grasped hers, lingering on them. He caught her gaze and quickly kissed the tip of her nose. "I _guess_ I'll go," a dramatic sigh left him before he winked at her, turning to walk away as his hands slowly fell from hers in the most drawn out, exaggerated way.

“You’re such a goof, babe.” Kylie watched with a big grin as his hand fell from hers and he twirled away from her, his hand pressing against his heart as he extended his other hand towards hers as he backed towards the door. “God, drama king!” He stuck his tongue out at her and disappeared through the doors.

“Holy shit,” she sighed and lifted her wrist. “He’s so cute, I swear.” Her eyes rolled as her omnitool flickered to life and she tapped into her comms channel, scrolling down the list and finding the one she wanted. “Tetris,” she started, walking over to her desk to pick up a pen that had fallen out of its container. “You got the hookup for tonight?”

A twanged groan came from the static, her eye roll almost tangible over the wavelengths. Kylie smirked.  _“You really gotta call me that, Ky?”_ She nodded her head, giving the room one last look-over. “Of course I do, Tetris. It just fits you, you know?”

 _“No, I don’t know.”_ Vetra irritably sighed, a slight shuffle coming from her end. _“Anyways, hell yeah – I'm a smuggler, goof. I always got the hookup. You wanna come to the galley and help me carry everything to your room?”_

“Oh, yeah. Sure.” She turned on her heel and headed for her door, her omnitool flashing as they hissed open. “On my way now. I'll see ya in a second, Tet.” Her omnitool slowly faded down as she walked down the hall and to the galley, the orange glow on her wrist briefly flickering before the doors hissed open and she stepped inside. 

"I hate Tet _even more_ than Tetris," The turian quipped from her spot in front of the fridge, scooting and clattering things around while she grabbed various items and pulled them out. "Literally sounds like you're calling me a tit."

"Fitting, then." A shit-eating grin danced across Kylie's face as she walked over to the fridge. Vetra shot her the dirtiest glare over the top of the fridge's door before her head ducked back inside, the girl almost unable to hold back a haughty laugh as she turned her omnitool off.

"Uh huh," the turian shoved a container of dextro beers at her and she took them, watching as she disappeared into the fridge again. “Just gotta get the beers you guys can drink – Well,” her eyes briefly flickered over to the girl’s stomach. “That the _others_ can drink. I bought you a shit ton of non-alcoholic fruity drinks you can gorge your heart out on, though.”

“Sounds good to me.” Kylie idly nodded her head, grabbing the second pack of beer from her as she stood back up. “Honestly, if I’m being truthful here? I don’t really miss drinking. It reminds me of Omega sometimes, especially when I get dead-ass drunk and can barely walk. ”

“Yeah, I bet. I know Liam rides your ass all the time whenever he sees you with any kinda alcohol.” They fell into an effortless stride together, pausing at the table to grab a few boxes of assorted bags of chips and various snacks. She glanced down at the short girl, a soft look dancing in her eyes as she watched her stack the beer packs on one of her arms. “I’m proud of you, y’know? You’re a really strong woman. Don't know if I could've been able to handle all you've been through.”

Her heart nearly stopped, her hand hesitating before she swallowed thickly and snatched a bag of chips off of the table. “Uh, yeah.” A shaky sigh left her as she stared down at the bag and thumbed the sealed top, the bag crinkling before she grabbed another. “God, I mean, yeah. I know I am. It’s just – I still have alotta bad breakdowns, you know?” She looked up at the turian as they headed through the doors, biting her bottom lip in thought. “I mean, not _as_ bad, but it’s still enough to make me feel… I don’t know. Dumb.”

“You’re only a human, Ky.” They turned the corner as they walked through the galleys' doors and headed for her quarters. “Breakdowns are normal, okay? Definitely a part of the whole being alive and living things. And you definitely haven’t had a whole lot since you and your babe became a thing.” She grinned as the girl sputtered and pointedly looked away, pursing her lips. “It’s really cute, in my opinion. I’m glad you’re in a pretty good place now. I’m here for you, got it?”

“Got it." Kylie nodded her head, taking in a deep breath. "And we’re just cute like that, y’know?” She headed for her desk once the doors hissed open, sitting the packs of beers down.

Vetra scoffed. “You can’t just keep dodging conversations about your mental health, you know.”

“Dodging what about the who, now?” She quirked a brow up at the turian, scattering the bags of chips across her desk as she looked around the room for a container.

“Kylie –“

“Look out!” A booming voice crashed through the room as the doors hissed open and Liam’s couch came _soaring_ in, sliding across the floor and teetering forward in front of her viewing window. Her eyes shot wide open as the brunette came stumbling in, followed closely by her brother, her fiancé, _and_ her dad.

“Ha!” Drack pumped his fists in the air, rounding the couch and kicking it back up. “ _That_ was a good one. Almost as good as if I had done it. Nice job, son!” He swatted James’ back, sending the boy forward a few steps.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do that if it weren’t for the big guy over there throwin’ me.” A nervous grin curled James’ lips, his eyes pointedly avoiding his sister’s gaze as she glared a hole into his head. His fingers trembled at his sides.

Her glare met the angara’s and he quirked a brow up at her. She followed suit, her opposite brow quirking up, only for both of his to shoot up and waggle at her. Her jaw dropped. “Jaal!” A snorty laugh hit him as she put her hands on her hips. “What did you do?”

“Drack didn’t believe that we could manage to get the couch into the room without even touching it.” Jaal started as he made his way over towards her, reaching for her hands and lacing his fingers with hers. “So, James and I started running down the hall to our quarters and as we neared the doors, I used my lucky little move to give him an extra boost through the doors.”

Her jaw dropped. “You used Avenger Strike on my brother?”

“Well, I mean,” the angara sputtered before he took in a quick breath, bringing her hands up to his chest, “it’s not like I haven’t used it on you before.” He leaned in closer and lazily smirked, her face turning a deep red as her eyes narrowed. “You know.”

“Uh,” James groaned, rubbing at his face. “Brother in the room. Please spare me.” She shot him an irritated glare, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed as she scoffed at him. “You and Lola do this to me all the time! Fuck off –“

“Alright,” Drack pushed her and the angara apart, glaring down at her. “Much as I would love to see my ru'shan rip someone, especially her own brother, apart, I wanna get this shit set up so we can get to the good parts – A movie and an excuse for drinking myself into a coma.”

“What if it’s a good movie?” Kylie grinned as she walked over to the couch and helped Liam set it back upright, pushing it closer to the setup in front of her viewing window. She put her hands on her hips as she stared at the layout, her brows furrowing as she looked over at the small sitting area near her desk.

"Don't care." The krogan snorted, grabbing a bag of chips and opening them. “Still drinking myself into a coma.” He threw a chip up and caught it in his mouth, eating it as he watched Liam and Kylie move one of the couches from the sitting area next to Liam's beat-up one.

“No, you’re not.” Lexi’s voice caught him off-guard, his eyes widening before they narrowed and he lazily grinned, throwing the bag onto the desk and turning to face her. She folded her arms across her chest. “Not on my watch, old man.”

He haughtily laughed, pulling her into a crushing hug as she rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Vetra groaned, her mandibles shifting as she turned away and headed for the doors. “I’ll go tell the others to get their asses over here.”

“You could just do that over the comms, Tetris.” Kylie quirked up a brow as she leaned her hip against the couch’s backrest for a breather and the brunette beside her burst into laughter. “Tetris?” He gasped between laughs, leaning over the back of the couch. “Are you kidding me? I _love_ that!”

“And _that_ is why I’m going to tell them in person." The turian waved at them as she walked through the doors. "Bye!”

Jaal quirked up a brow, his hands coming to rest on his fiancé’s waist as he approached her from behind. “Tetris?” He hesitated to ask. She giggled, her hands resting over his. “It’s an old-Earth game people were obsessed with for a reason only God knows. I _hated_ that game.”

“Ah.” The angara nodded while the brunette sputtered, his brows furrowing as he shot straight up from the couch and glared at her. "You  _hated_ it? Who are you?!"

“Sam,” James interrupted them as he plopped down on the couch, watching as his sister and his boyfriend squared up at each other. He rolled his eyes. “What time is it?”

_“It is approximately 20:45.”_

“Oh, God. Shit." Kylie pulled away from the brunette and darted over to her desk, getting to work opening the bags of snacks and the many packs of beers. "People should start pouring in soon, then,” She paused, looking around and furrowing her brows. “Wasn't I - Ah!” A grin danced across her face as she caught the sight of an empty basket, walking over to grab it before heading back to her desk and stacking the open snacks neatly inside. “There we go.”

As if on cue, her doors hissed open and in came their two pilots, their hands interlaced and their arms swinging as they walked inside. “Hope we haven’t missed too much!” Suvi nearly lit up as she grinned over at the girl. “Kallo and I were talking about some geodes back on Earth and I kind of got… _Just_ a little bit carried away.”

“A little bit?” The salarian snorted, squeezing her hand before he let it go and ran over to help Liam and Jaal set out some more chairs. “You brought out your diary, Suvi.” He unfolded a chair and sat it down, leaning on it and pointing his hand at her. “Your diary that contains hundreds upon thousands of pages about _dirt_.”

“Shush, Kallo!” She waved her arms at him, her brows furrowing as shot him an incredulous glare. “I thought we were friends!” Her fingers ran through her hair as she walked over to help the girl set up the snack table, barely avoiding the krogan as he moved another couch by them.

“We _are_ friends – Best friends!” He stumbled over a pile of chairs and fell onto Liam, barely missing punching him in the face as he clattered to the floor on top of him. A snort came from him as he popped back up, sharply pointing at the redhead. “I blame _you_ for this – You distracted me!”

Suvi groaned, her head tilting back as she glared up at the ceiling. “You see what I have to put up with, Lee?” She shook her head as the girl giggled, her eyes rolling. “He’s like a kid sometimes. I feel like a mom, actually.”

“You can join me in a few months, then.” Kylie bit back a cheeky grin as she handed the woman a few more snack bags and the redhead laughed, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “God, I’ll need all the help I can get. Wanna be a god-mom?”

Her eyes shot wide open and she nearly dropped the bags in her hands. “Oh!” Her hands desperately grabbed at the bags as she leaned forward, trying to get ahold of them. “Are you for real?” Her jaw dropped before she finally managed to grab the bags and squeeze them against her, crushing a few of the chips. “Oh, I would absolutely love to, Kylie!”

“You’ll fit right in with Kesh, honestly. And Tetris, Cora, Peanut Butter, Gil, Kallo – Okay, let’s be real here.” Kylie rolled her eyes as she placed the last bag down on the table, watching as Gil and Cora came in, followed closely by Peebee. She pointed at each and every person as they glanced over at her. “Everyone here is this kid’s god-parents, like hands down no doubt. Just so y'all know.”

Gil grinned, plopping down on the couch and stretching out. “Better be! I gotta teach them how to style their hair like mine, y’know. It’s the only best hairstyle.”

“Uh,” Liam cut in, leaning over the couch and glaring down at the man. “No way, Gil. That’s all on me, got it?”

“No," Gil leaned back, glaring up at him. "It’s mine as the rightful god-dad!”

“Boy, you better –“

“Chill!” Her foot stomped and they paused, looking over at her as the rest of the crew flooded in. “If I have twins,” she made her way over to Jaal and grasped his hand, pulling her with him as she hurriedly walked towards the empty couch to the side to claim their spot, “which is super likely, y’all can take turns.”

Jaal hummed as they sat down on the couch, his legs stretching out as he leaned his back against the armrest and her back came to rest on his chest, her legs bent and her arms resting on her stomach. “I agree,” he started, his hands resting over hers. “There will be plenty of Sadhaana and, possibly, Virohaan to go around.”

“Oh?” James grinned as he sat down on Liam’s lap on one of the single, fluffy chairs, his back to him as the brunette wrapped his arms around his waist. “You banking on having a girl, big guy?”

“I would love nothing more than to have a daughter that looks just like her mother," the angara wistfully sighed, running his fingers through her coiled hair as the sweetest smile danced across his face and she blushed. “Though, if it is a boy, I will love him just as much. And if we get lucky and we _do_ have twins, I will love them both equally and with the absolute entirety of all of my heart.”

“What?" Kylie giggled, tilting her head back and looking up at him. "Will you have enough room left over in there for me?” He grinned, tilting his head down to kiss her forehead. “Of course, my love. I have a _very_ big heart, you know.”

“Euuugh,” Peebee groaned as she laid down in front of the couches, her hands folding behind her head and her legs bending and one crossing over the other. “Enough with this sappy shit, okay? I came for good food, a good movie, and copious amounts of alcohol. Not sappy love-birds moochin’ it up on the couch. Like, get a room.”

"Um, I _am_ in my room, ya dingus." Kylie rolled her eyes, shooting the asari a pointed glare before her eyes met Liam’s and she shrugged. “Go ahead, Lola. I’m pretty sure everyone’s here, right?” She glanced around the room, watching as Vetra grabbed a dextro beer and walked over to join the pilots on the spare chairs behind the couch.

They all started to call out, glancing around the room to make sure everyone was there and settled before the brunette nodded his head and grinned. “Sweet, let’s get started. This is an _extremely_ old movie, y’all. Me and James spent hours trying to find the perfect one, so if y’all don’t like it, you can fuck off.”

* * *

  
“Oh, come on!” Cora threw a piece of popcorn at the holo-screen, a groan escaping her as she melted down onto her back. “That was _horrible_ , are you kidding me? I’m pretty sure even _I_ could act better than they just did!”

“Turians aren’t known for being extremely expressive, C.” Vetra’s mandibles shifted in amusement as she took a sip of her beer, watching as the blonde lifted her head up to shoot her a glare from her spot on the floor. “I mean, you know. Mandibles and all that.” They waggled at her and Cora's brows furrowed.

“You can still put emotion in your voice, okay?" She rolled her eyes, glancing over at the girl. "I bet even Kylie could do better than that.”

“Oh, I can.” Kylie swallowed down her handful of popcorn, stretching her legs out over Jaal’s and shifting around for a better spot. “I mean, I was a theater kid and I took dance classes for, like, sixteen years. I stopped when I graduated high school.”

The room fell silent as they all looked at her, the movie pausing. James nearly melted against his boyfriend, his face impossibly red as he desperately hoped nobody would speak a _single_ word – “Oh, come on!” Liam grinned, clapping his hands and ignoring the incredulous glare he got from his boyfriend. “I know you are, Lala! You gotta do it! Please, say you’ll do it?”

“No!” James groaned in protest, his hands rubbing at his face as the girl lit up. “Oh, you’re _so_ on.” She handed her bag of popcorn to her fiancé and stood, dusting her hoodie off as she looked around the room. “Anyone wanna offer themselves up to me for, like, eight minutes? I won't bite, I promise. Unless we decide to do that, then it's chill.”

Suvi and Kallo both shot up. “Oh,” the redhead softly started, her hands fumbling in front of her as she nervously grinned at the salarian. “You can go – It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

“No, Suvi, you should go!" Kallo's eyes widened as he grasped her hands, shaking his head. "You stood up first and it’s only fair that – “

“You _both_ can come, doofuses.” She shot them a grin as she walked up to the holo-screen in front of her viewing window, her hands fumbling for the hair tie on her wrist. “One second,” her body bent forward and she threw her coiled hair over, grabbing the tie and pulling it around her hair. The coils smushed together and formed a dark, puffy, cloud-like halo above her head. “There.”

“Outta the way.” A cheeky grin lit up her face as she straightened up and the angara near her let out a soft, awe-filled gasp. She looked over at him and his face completely lit up, his bright eyes wide and his mouth agape. “I –“ He hesitated, taking in her hair. “You’ve never worn it up like that before.”

“Really?” Her lips pursed, a skip in her heart at his look. “I thought I did.” An idle shrug, her fingers fixing it as the two willing victims approached her. Her eyes darted from one to the other before her arms snaked around their shoulders and pulled them towards her, their foreheads nearly touching as she shot a conspiring glance around the room before leaning in and whispering.

“And that’s what we’re gonna do, okay?” She grinned as she finally pulled back and Suvi nervously giggled, her hands balling into fists and shaking as she bounced in her spot. “I’m ready! Oh, I’m so excited!” Her fingers trembled as she stepped away and Kallo grinned, taking off across the room.

Kylie cleared her throat, leaning back against the railing in front of the window. Her eyes softened as she looked over at the redhead, her shoulders relaxing as a soft sigh left her. “Sue,” she started as the redhead glanced out over the railing, her voice soft. “He doesn’t treat you like he should. No boyfriend should _ever_ threaten to hurt you just ‘cause you wanted to be around your friends. That’s not okay.”

“I - I know,” Suvi’s voice fell quiet, her fingers toying with the hem of her red shirt as she swallowed thickly. “I can’t,” she shook her head, swallowing thickly as she looked away from the window. “I can’t just _leave_ him, Kylie. I…” Her hand fell and her shoulders relaxed in defeat, her eyes downcast as her lip trembled. “I love him.”

“Why?” Her voice rose, her hand balling into a fist as she pushed away from the railing and took a step towards her. “He treats you like shit, are you kidding me?!” She grabbed the redhead’s shoulders, her icy eyes wide and her dark brows furrowed. “He – I _saw_ him with that guy last night, Sue. They were _making out_.”

Suvi’s eyes widened. “What?” Goosebumps danced across her skin, her heart squeezing in her chest. “You saw him with Kendrick last night? I – He told me that they were -” She turned her head away, her eyes squeezing shut and her trembling lips pressing together. “I can’t – I feel like I’m going to be sick –“

“Hey!” The salarian’s voice fell low as he approached them, his brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he stared at them. “What are you doing around her? I thought I told you to scram – She’s not allowed to talk to you anymore.”

“She’s not your fucking _property_ , jackass.” Kylie’s nostrils flared as she stepped up to him, squaring her shoulders and balling her hands into fists. Suvi shook her head, her hand reaching out to grasp the girl’s shoulder. She shrugged it off. “She’s my _best friend_ , and if you think I’m going to let you touch her after what you did to her last night with that Kendrick dumbass?”

Her hands grasped the collar of his shirt, yanking him down towards her as her icy blue eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. Their noses nearly brushed, her icy eyes dancing with anger and sending a shiver up his spine. “I’ll fucking _kill_ you.”

“No, you won’t!” Kallo growled, throwing a punch at the girl’s head. She dropped down and rolled to the side, leaping forward and grabbing his legs. He yelled out as he crashed to the ground and they rolled around in a mess of limbs, punches thrown and legs flying.

Suvi nearly screamed, her hands roughly grabbing her hair. “Stop!” Her voice cracked as she yelled, the two pausing with the girl on top of him and her fist raised, the other hand grabbing his shirt. “Please, stop!” She trembled, her breathing heavy as tears pricked the corner of her eyes and her hands pressed against her cheeks.

Her hands immediately fell from the salarian’s, her eyes widening as she stood up. “Sue, are you okay?”

“I’m so tired of everyone fighting! It’s like I can’t ever catch a break anymore – I can’t do this anymore, Kylie. It’s making me sick and I -” Her voice broke as she turned and took a step away. "I can't -"

“Wait!” Kylie darted forward, grabbing her hand and keeping her from leaving. Her voice fell soft, shaky, as her lips fell open and her icy eyes widened, her brows furrowed. “Please don’t go.” A soft breath left her as the woman glanced over her shoulder at her. “I - I love you.” Her heart lurched as she took in the girl’s teary eyes and before her brain could process it, her body was yanked forward as Kylie pulled her into a deep kiss.

Gasps filled the room. Kallo’s jaw dropped, his body shooting straight up and his hands balling into fists at his sides. “What the hell?” He started, his eyes frantic and unsure of where to look first –

The girl whipped around, clocking him across the face and sending him crashing down to the floor. “I’m _so_ fucking tired of him,” a breathless sigh left her as she turned back around, only to be pulled back into another kiss by the redhead. Her hands cradled her jaw, her thumbs brushing her cheekbones as a trembling sigh escaped her against her lips.

A soft, happy giggle murmured against her lips as the salarian attempted to sit back up, only for her to stomp on his stomach and push him right back down. The redhead smiled into the kiss. “I love you, too.”

Suvi and Kylie melted into giggles against each other as Kallo stood back up, a big, happy grin on his face as he wrapped his arms around them and squeezed them. The room erupted into applause, a mixture of whistling and name-calling echoing and overlapping each other.

“ _That_ had more drama than this entire movie!” Peebee beamed from her spot on the floor, reaching out to grab Kylie’s ankle as they made their way back to their seats. “Hey, can I be kissed next, Kale? Please?”

Kylie haughtily laughed and sharply snorted. “Hell no, Peanut Butter. I only smooch my cute fiancé – I mean, Suvi was an exception ‘cause she’s cute and also we were acting, so duh.” She kicked her ankle free and fell forward onto the couch, smushing herself against the angara’s chest as he pulled her up and into a happy, sweet kiss. She grinned, her fingers trailing over his jaw. " _That_ was amazing, my love."  
  
"Oookay," Liam grinned as his boyfriend plopped down onto him and he lifted his wrist, tapping into his omnitool. "Let's continue this movie, then."

* * *

  
Her eyes slowly fluttered open as a soft, buzzing hum filled her ears and her senses, rocking her out of her sleep. A soft groan escaped her as her eyes hesitantly focused, glancing around the dark room. Their room. Oh. She cleared her throat, shifting around and pushing herself further against the warmth beneath her as she squeezed her eyes shut and she burrowed her hand under his rofjinn. 

"Darling one," his warm voice made her tired eyes flicker open and she glanced up, catching the sight of a very tired angara under her with the softest smile on his face. "You fell asleep halfway through the movie."

"Are you serious?" She yawned, burying her face into his rofjinn. He chuckled, reaching down to pull the blanket further up her body and over her shoulders. "Did I really miss that much?" Her voice was heavy with sleep and she rubbed at her eyes, lazily stretching out against him as he nodded his head. "Why didn't you wake me up, bub?"

"You looked so peaceful, my love. And so very, very cute." Jaal softly sighed beneath her as she nodded her head, his hand coming out from under his head in favor of brushing her baby hairs behind her ear. "And, truly? You didn't miss much - It was a pretty boring movie after Kurish died, honestly." He kissed the top of her head and she sighed, his heart skipping a beat. "And I know you haven't been getting much sleep lately because you're so focused on Meridian."

Kylie's voice left her, her eyes focusing on his throat as he spoke. A tendril of fear twisted up her spine and she swallowed thickly, her hand reaching down to touch her stomach. "I know." Her head ached at the thought, her tired brain ready to completely breakdown. "I'm... I'm scared of it."

"I know," he said softly, his hand resting on her lower back and his bioelectricity sending a rush of warmth up her spine. "But you still need sleep to be able to overtake such a thing as big as this. You've been worrying me." 

"I'm sorry," her sad, bloodshot eyes glanced up at his, tears blurring the edges of her vision. His hand cradled her jaw and gently tilted her head up, softly kissing her as she swallowed back her emotion. He shook his head. "There's no need to apologize, my love." His thumb brushed under her eyes, wiping away a stray tear that overflowed and escaped. 

A rush came out of her, her voice trembling. "I'm just... What if something happens to me? What if I die and we lose our kid, or something happens to me and I get injured and we lose our kid, or what if something happens to you and I'm -" Her voice broke and he sat up, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against him. He softly shushed her as she broke, her chest heaving and her hands grabbing at his rofjinn as he gently rubbed her back.

"Nothing is going to happen," his deep voice made her relax, her throat aching as she slowly willed herself to calm down. "I won't let anything happen to you - You're a strong, amazing woman, my love. There won't be anything there that you won't be able to handle." She nodded her head against his chest, her breathing heavy as she tried to steady herself. "And our beautiful kid will be healthy, safe, and alive, just as you and I will. I promise."

 


	29. bulletproof

_“We should be reaching Khi Tisera in about an hour, Kylie.”_

The salarian’s voice broke her from her near-trance in front of the bathroom mirror. Her grip on the counter’s edge tensed before it slowly relaxed, her hands falling from the cool metal. She stared at herself in the mirror, her shoulders slowly relaxing. “Thanks, Kallo.”

Kylie wasn't exactly sure what to do with herself.

The more she thought about Meridian and what's to come, her stomach would flip and her insides would twist so badly she’d feel bile bite at the back of her throat, making her ready to throw herself into the nearest toilet and cling to it for life. If she tried _not_ to think about Meridian, anxiety ate away and rotted at her insides like the sulfuric acid in Kadara's ponds.

And every time she thought of the Archon, of what he could accomplish, of what he could do if she failed, of what she could lose if he _won_ , her mind slowly found its way back to her stomach. Her icy blue eyes slowly trailed down her reflection, her breath catching as she caught sight of the bump on her stomach and she gasped, broken and horrid and her chest heaved - “My love?”

A soft, deep rumble of a familiar, sweet voice behind her made her jump. Her elbow hit the metal counter as she turned around, her teary eyes wide as she stared up at the angara. “Babe,” she said so softly he had to strain to hear her, her body relaxing as her arms wrapped around his waist and she swallowed back a sob threatening to burst out. "Hey."

“Are you alright, darling one?” Jaal’s lovely, rich voice sent a shiver right up her spine. She nodded her head against his warm chest as he pulled her against him, her hand snaking up between them to quickly wipe at her eyes. "You seem as though you've been crying."

“I’m fine, really. Just…” She sniffled and cleared her throat, tilting her head up to stare at him. His hand gently cradled her jaw, wiping away a tear that overflowed. A soft tug of worry in his heart made him frown, his bright, blue eyes dancing with worry as she continued. “Thinking way too much. You know how it is.”

He softly chuckled as he tucked her coiled, black hair behind her ear. “Yes, I do.” A gentle, sweet kiss pressed against her forehead made her smile, the softest hum escaping him as he pulled back and stared down at her. “It is one of your many, many talents.”

“I know, right?” Kylie pressed her lips together in an effort to keep herself together and buried her face in his chest. She let out a trembling sigh, trying to will herself to keep calm. “I keep thinking about what we have to lose. I mean,” she reluctantly pulled back from him and laid her hands on her stomach. Her voice hesitated, her head slowly looking up and her eyes catching his gaze. “We have... A lot to lose right now.”

“We will be fine,” his hands laid over hers, the softest tingle of bioelectricity tickling her hands. “ _All_ of us. Trust me when I say this, my love – If any kett tries to harm you or our child," his head slightly tilted down and his eyes narrowed, a dangerous look dancing in his bright eyes as his voice grew low. "They will learn to fear nothing but _me_. Not even their Archon will make them feel the same fear as the sight of me will.”

A slow grin tugged at the corner of her trembling lips. "God," her hands fell from her stomach in favor of cradling his jaw, bringing him down to her level to kiss him. Their noses bumped and she sighed. “I love you, so much.”

“And I, you." His hands laid over hers as his forehead pressed to hers before he kissed her, again and again. "Impossibly more.”

* * *

  
“It feels different coming back here, now.” Kallo shook his head as the galaxy containing Khi Tisera flickered around their ship's windows, stars dotting every surface around them. A hand reached out to skim across the glass, fingers slowly falling away. “I don’t know how to explain the feeling I get looking at it,” he looked over at her, his brows slowly furrowing. “There’s just… Something, now.”

“Well, _we’re_ different now.” The raven shot him a cheeky grin, her fingers trembling. She gripped the railing in front of the galaxy map to still it, swallowing thickly. “I mean, we’re ready, you know? We’ve all done some growing and maturing, I guess. Maybe not the kett, but still.”

The salarian laughed, shaking his head before turning his attention back to his controls. Suvi cleared her throat and caught her attention, swiveling her chair to face her. “Sam’s marked a potential override for Remnant ship control inside." Awe danced at the edges of her voice, the slightest smile on her face. "A tower with its own energy grid, I suppose.”

_“It may be one of the controls that deployed Meridian – And the means to find it again.”_

A trembling sigh left her, a nervous, hesitant grin slowly dancing across her face. “Awesome. Good job, you guys.” She felt like she was going to be sick. "Like, really good job." Suvi smiled and she hesitated. "Don't know what I'd do without you."

The ship loudly whirred as Kallo carefully guided it to land, her hands trembling as she pushed away from the galaxy map in favor of making her way down to the cargo hold. She walked through the bridge’s doors and slid down the ladder, her hand catching the krogan's as he walked out of the galley beside her and fell in line.

“We goin’ now, ru’shan?” Drack quirked up a brow. She numbly nodded and he squeezed her hand. Her body tensed. He frowned, squeezing her hand tighter. “Trust me, ru'shan. We’re ready for it. We can do it.”

“Yeah,” she nodded again, a sharp sigh leaving her as they approached the doors to the cargo hold and the krogan lifted his omnitool to type in the sequence. Doors gave way for her to catch the sight of Jaal and Liam leaning against the weapon’s workbench, her steps slightly fumbled as the two made their way over to the workbench.

The brunette paused, his eyes flickering from the girl’s to the krogan’s before he cheekily grinned and reached for his gun. “We're seriously here already? That was _fast_ \- Thought we'd have another hour, give or take.”

“Yes, I had assumed so, too.” Jaal hummed in agreement, strapping one last piece of his armor into place before Kylie neared him and she held her arms out. He pulled her into a tight hug, the brightest smile on his face. “We can do this, my love. I promise - Nothing will happen to you, our child, or me." Her fingers dug into his shoulders and she nodded, her eyes squeezing shut. "I promise.”

“I know,” her voice trembled and she swallowed thickly. Fear ate away at her stomach and her mind felt numb as they pulled away and approached the docking ramp, her hands uncontrollably shaking as she fumbled to unholstered her gun. Anxiety danced up her spine and her body felt stiff, rigid, un-cooperating as -

“Wait!” A frantic voice called out behind them. She glanced back, catching the sight of James rushing through the cargo’s doors with his gun flopping about in his hands as he clasped on his final piece of armor. “I’m ready, too! You can't leave without me, Kay! We're the dynamic duo, remember?”

Her mouth fell open as her mind argued with her heart. She wants him there, but she can't - She can't do that to him, or her. Not now. Not _ever_.  "No way, Jay." She slowly turned to face him, reaching for his hands as he holstered his gun and bumped into her.

“You're kidding me, right?” He stared at her, his icy eyes wide and his dark brows furrowed as he laced his fingers with hers. She slowly shook her head and his jaw dropped. His words stuttered over each other, a scoff escaping him as he searched for the words. "Kay... I _need_ to come, are you kidding -"

"I said  _no,_ Jay." Her hands squeezed his tighter and they both froze. His gaze caught hers and her jaw tensed. "This - I can't... This is extremely dangerous, okay? If... If something were to happen to - To me," she shook her head, swallowing thickly. "We need one Ryder left in the world. Mom would be heartbroken if something happened to the both of us, especially after Alec."

James' body tensed, his shoulders slightly hiking up as his eyes squeezed shut. A slight twitch in his nose told her that he knew, his forehead falling against hers as he let out a sigh. "You're right. Shit, you're right. I'm sorry," he said softly, letting go of her hands in favor of wrapping his arms around her. His grip tightened, the slightest tremble in his voice. "I know, goddamnit. I love you, okay?"

"It's okay," her voice almost broke. It didn't want to work. She swallowed thickly, her lip quivering as she hugged him as tightly as she could, memorizing the way he felt in her arms. "I love you, too. More than words could say."

* * *

   
The ramp emitted a loud hiss as it slowly descended from the ship, hydraulics hissing as the doors to it whooshed open and they started their slow trek down the gridded-metal. _“Everything looks good so far, Kylie.”_ She nodded as the redhead's voice flickered in through their comms, her gaze catching the krogan’s. He winked and everything felt... Right, for once. _“Find the override, apply that hardware, and the Remnant city will fly the same vector as Meridian.”_

Hands grasped hers and she tensed, glancing over to find the angara she loved so much smiling down at her before her gaze trailed to her other hand, only to find the brunette's hand over her's and the biggest, cockiest grin on his face. Her lips pressed together as she almost teared up, frantically blinking them away as she sniffled. “I think we’re finally ready, you guys.”

“Ready to get our fuckin’ home back." Drack's hand met her lower back, the happiest grin on his face. "You ready to get lucky, ru’shan? We deserve it.” She eagerly nodded her head, her hands squeezing theirs tighter as she looked back ahead.

"Yeah, we do." Kylie’s steps hesitated as they approached the looming, towering doors to the Remnant city and her eyes fell shut. They paused. She bit her bottom lip as she swallowed back her emotions and slowly nodded her head, a slow, hesitant sigh leaving her. Her eyes slowly opened and she grinned at them through her teary gaze, her steps continuing. “Tempest, we’re going in. Love you guys.”

The walk through the city’s main bridge was… Different. Something in the air felt off, weird – Like the atmosphere had changed. The girl glanced around as her hands fell from theirs and she hesitantly reached for her gun, her body feeling awkward. “Something seems different here.” She hesitated, pausing at the end of the bridge as her eyes took in the vast expanse of the lit-up tower. _“_

 _"Orbital scans identified a separate energy grid within the tower.”_ Sam started, her jaw dropping as she shot a wary glance over her shoulder at Liam. “Okay, so... The defenses here might not be on our side.” Clicks sounded behind her as they reached for their guns. "Gotta be ready for anything, I guess."

"Yeah, better safe than sorry, y'know?" Her legs fell numb at the brunette's voice as they crossed the chasm to the first set of doors. A mixture of excitement and anxiety hit her heart hard, her chest crushing under the pressure.  _“145 meters to projected override controls.”_ Kylie scoffed and her eyebrows shot up, her boot scuffing at a raised piece of flooring. “That makes this feel wickedly ominous, Sassmaster.”

 _“Would you like for me to stop?”_ She rolled her eyes, lifting her omnitool to hack the door's sequencer. “No, go ahead! Wouldn't dare interrupt your creepy Sassmaster shit.” A chuckle sounded behind her and she glanced back, shooting the grinning angara a thumbs up. He grinned and shook his head, his hand meeting her lower back.

Energy crackled as the doors hissed open, blue electricity dancing around from the core of the room. "Wow," she was breathless as she took everything in. The city looked so much more alive after the power had been restored. They followed the ramp leading beside the crackling core, a low humming running from the sole of her boots up through her legs.

Robotic steps sounded ahead and they scattered into cover, her fingers slightly trembling as she squeezed the handle of her shotgun tighter and peered over her cover. “Remnant, guys!” She called out, her body slightly jumping as her gun went off and a bullet landed square in an assembler's head. “They are _not_ friendly, like at all!”

 _“God,”_ Liam snorted through their comms and she rolled her eyes, watching as his body vanished before he reappeared behind an assembler and his omnitool’s blade crashed through its head in a brilliant display of lights. _“Totally couldn’t tell, Lala!”_

“Just thought I’d let you know, Lola,” the raven yelled out from her cover, shooting him a pointed glare as he rolled behind a glowing step. He flipped her off and she laughed. “Hey, you can be kinda dense sometimes!”

He snorted. Loudly. Loud enough for her to hear him from across the room.  _“You would be the one to know!”_

Jaal chuckled from beside her, his free hand meeting her lower back as he rounded her body and sidled up beside her. His shoulder bumped hers and she glanced up at him, giving him a wink before turning her attention back to the Remnant. He peered through his sniper rifle's scope, a hint of a grin on his face. “You two are so effortlessly cute.”

“I’m cuter though, right? I mean,” her body jolted from her gun’s recoil, a glance spared up at him before she quickly reloaded her ammo and held it back up. “I _am_ your fiancée after all.”

“Ha!” He slapped his knee, briefly bending over to kiss her cheek and admiring the sheepish smile on her face. “Yes, you are the cutest person in the entire galaxy, my love.”

“Good." Her lips pressed together as she smiled, the softest blush dancing across her cheeks. She cleared her throat, watching as an assembler burst into flames from his bullet. _Whew, he's such a good shot - Focus, Kylie. Focus._  "I mean, I know that. It’s just nice to hear it from my cute fiancé. A lot.”

“Oh, I'm cute?" Jaal couldn't help but grin. His shoulder nudged hers and she shot him a pointed, little glare. One of his brows quirked up and she pouted at him as he continued. "Am I cuter than you, though?”

She gasped. “What? Yes - No!" Her head turned from one side to the other before she huffed and lowered her gun, her eyes rolling before she brought it back up and glared through its scope to distract her. "Yes and no. You’re the cutest person in the entire galaxy, but I’m also cute.”

“We’re both cute," a soft hum rumbled deep in his chest as he mulled over the thought. His gun slightly lowered as he stared down at her, his lips pursing as his heart slightly squeezed at the sight of her. "But I will admit, you do seem cuter.”

A cocky, toothy grin danced across her face. Her shoulder idly shrugged, her eyes rolling. “Oh, I know.”

He laughed, holstering his gun as the last remnant fell and pulling her into a hug before she could stand. His arms cocooned her and she melted into his touch, her hands resting on his shoulders. “I love you.”

“Aww," a soft breath left her as she kissed his cheek. He smiled. "I love you, too.”

“Oh?" He grinned, slightly pulling away to cradle her jaw. "You do know that I love you more, yes?” She laughed, his thumbs brushing over her flushed cheeks -

“Okay,” the krogan’s irritated, loud huff broke them apart. “Enough sappy shit and back to what we came here for. You’ll have plenty of time to kiss and shag and shit _after_ we deal with this bullshit.”

"Whatever, Dad." Her lips pursed before she pouted and looked back up at the angara. An idea hit her and she tiptoed, grasping his rofjinn and yanking him down to her level. He followed suit, his hands grasping her own rofjinn as he pulled her into one final, deep kiss that nearly made her toes curl in her boots.

“Okay,” she giggled breathlessly as she pulled back, her tongue darting out to lick her lips as she cleared her throat and reluctantly stood. “I’m good.”

His bright, heavily-lidded eyes watched as her tongue darted out and he cleared his throat, readjusting his rofjinn as he forced himself to look away and stand. “I’m _very_ good, too.”

Kylie shot him a cocky grin while the krogan groaned and she headed for the doors. Her omnitool flickered to life as she approached them and began to hack in their sequencer, effortlessly getting them to ease open as she walked through. Her heart skipped, her veins running cold. “One last set of Remnant doors, y’all.”

They followed after her, wide eyes taking in the bright, glowing room as their steps led them down another winding, metal bridge. She paused as she came up to a single console in the vast, blue-lit room, her hands grasping the edges as she took in a deep breath. "Wow."

 _“Controls are ahead, Kylie.”_ She grinned, icy blue eyes slowly widening in wonder as he continued. _“Projections suggest multiple launch bays and possible links to Meridian deployment.”_

“Let’s get this show on the road, then.” Her hand excitedly balled into a fist before it relaxed and lifted to hover over the center, watching in silent awe as the keys lit up around her hands and orange lights flashed and flickered around her gloved fingertips. “Okay, we ready?”

 _“All relevant data is queued for uplink, Kylie.”_ She took in a deep breath, squaring her shoulders and nodding her head.

“Good.” A hand clasped her shoulder and she glanced up, grinning as she caught sight of the krogan. He looked beaming and proud, ready. “Let’s do this, ru'shan.” The other two cheered on, hands meeting her shoulders as she lit up at their touch.

Silence fell between the group as the console hummed to life, her heart furiously beating in her ears as a hologram slowly formed above the console. _“Remnant ships have lifted off.”_ Her eyes widened, her mouth falling open in disbelief as ships slowly flickered into view. _“They’re following the override vector.”_

The ships in the hologram began to move about, avoiding the bright tendrils of the Scourge as one followed after the other. “The Scourge is moving. Wow! But…” A path in the Scourge disappeared to reveal a metal-covered planet. Her brows furrowed. “It seems like they’re getting through to... Something.”

_"They're getting through to Meridian, Kylie.”_

“That’s Meridian?" Liam snorted, his face scrunching up in confusion. "Are you sure?” His hands met the edge of the console as he glared up at the hologram, thick brows furrowed as his eyes searched it and he shook his head. “Looks weird as shit.”

“Yeah,” the krogan hummed in agreement, his brows slowly furrowing as his lips pressed together. "Doesn't seem right."

“It’s… Hollow, almost. Maybe?" The brunette slowly continued, his mind searching for the right words as he looked over and caught the angara's gaze. He shrugged at him and his lips pursed in thought. "Like a Dyson sphere, but moon-sized?”

_“It is classified as a self-contained seed world. It is the heart of the vault network and, when reactivated, every connected planet will be affected.”_

“Oh, my God. We - We need this.” Her breath left her as she looked back at them, a tingle running up her hand. “We did it.”

 _“Congratulations, Pathfinder.”_ A sharp gasp hit her hard, her brows furrowing as her hand ripped away from the console and the orange sharply died down. The voice wasn't right, wasn't his, wasn't supposed to be there. Panic ripped through her brain as a pulse ran through her head and electricity crackled behind her eyes, bulging as she squeezed them shut in protest against it. She screamed, hands desperately grasping at her head.  _“You did it. What a great day for us all.”_

Kylie’s eyes widened as she looked back at the group, her breathing harsh and ragged as static ripped through her brain. Her vision flickered back and forth, black and them, black and them and static. “Sam?! Sam!” Her voice broke as her knees gave out, her body crashing down as her hands gripped her head so hard, her knuckles bulged. Pain inched along her spine, cracks of electricity jolting her brain. She gasped, her chest convulsing. “What’s -”

Sweat beaded on her temples, her lips trembling as her nails dug into and broke her skin and a pained, frantic scream ripped through her throat. “What’s – What’s –“ Her shaking voice faded in and out, pain biting at the edges as her stomach squeezed painfully. “What’s going –" She choked on her own spit, her throat squeezing. "On?!”

"Lala?" Liam's terrified voice was barely audible, barely there as he touched her. She sharply turned away from him, a frantic whimper leaving. Her body trembled with effort as she willed herself to stand, barely able to move her legs. She was going to throw up. Flashes of brief sight followed by darkness flickered around her vision, black dots speckling what little she could see as her horribly shaking leg pushed her up.

Jaal couldn’t breathe. “Kylie?!” His hands grasped her shoulders and she shrugged him off, her shoulders tensing as she bent over and her chest heaved as her stomach emptied itself of what little contents it had. "Kylie!" She horridly gasped, the noise pathetic and broken as she gagged, her hands balling into fists against her twin braids and catching the strands in her nails.

 _“I believed you to be a fitting rival.”_ A voice, familiar and jaded, horrible and gross, lingered at the edges of her mind. She screamed out as a surge of pain ached through her head, her hands roughly grabbing her hair as she unsteadily stood and stumbled to the side. Strong hands grasped her, her vision blurring and swimming as she looked around the hazed-out room, her breathing fast and frantic. _“But you are a false thing. A lie.”_

“Tempest?! Tempest, come in!” A panicked voice lingered at the edges of her mind, her heartbeat drowning everything out. Who? Her mind tried to focus, her attention slowly dying down to nothing. “Kylie, stop!” Another voice, familiar, lovely, gentle. Hands grasped her and electricity burned her skin, her body convulsing away from it as she sharply stumbled to the side and nearly crashed to the ground. Her armored knee skidded on the floor as she pushed herself back up, desperately stumbling towards the open doors. Blood trickled down her nose. "Ru'shan!"

_“Once I saw what made you special, your connection? I knew how and when to take it from you.”_

Panic swarmed around her as the doors hissed shut, trapping them. The krogan rushed to pick her up as she fell down and her body fought against him. Her mind ached, pulsed, tendrils of shock jolting through her body in waves as she weakly pushed him away and sharply stumbled from one side to the other. Legs moved on their own accord, her quivering mouth slack as her unfocused, icy eyes stared down at the floor. One sharp jolt of electricity sparked from one side of her brain to the other, her eyes squeezing shut as she cried out in pain, pained, aching -

_“I let you find Meridian. And now? I’ll use your Sam to weaponize it.”_

Her legs gave out. A broken, pained scream ripped from her body as she fell forward to her knees, her mind swimming and incoherent words spilling from her. Pleas, begs, cries, anything and everything - Her mind flickered to her stomach. Cold ran through her body. Blood fell from her mouth, her ears, her nose, her chest convulsing and her stomach heaving as she desperately tried to breathe. She couldn’t breathe.  _I'm going to die._ Silence, a broken whimper.  _We're going to die._

_“All of Heleus will be exalted, or one by one, your worlds will die – Starting with Eos.”_

Voices, panicked and screaming, arguments and yelling, flickered and overlapped around her, her hands grasping her head and pushing it down against the cold, metal floor as red danced around the edges of her vision. Black dots slowly filled her sight, her throat burning as she twisted her head to the side and her back curved, throwing up. An ache settled deep in her body, everything feeling wrong, off, horrible, terrible, not right -

_“All I need to start is an implant like yours. And thanks to your memories, I know who else has one.”_

Hands touched her, painful and searing, and she cried out, pushing herself away from the touches. Everything hurt – Everything ached and burned and screamed at her. “No!” She screamed, broken and ragged, her voice hoarse and barely-there. Tears burned the edges of her vision, running down her face. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t do it. She can’t save him. Them. All of them. Jaal, Drack, Liam. Her family - A weak fist slammed into the metal floor, her body crying out as tears mixed with blood. “No!”

_“Another reason to take the Hyperion.”_

Darkness slowly ate away at her final pieces of vision, her body gradually succumbing as she slowly laid herself down and rolled to her back. Blood smeared across her face as a trembling, weak hand came up, reaching for something, anything, please - A strong one desperately grabbed it and engulfed it, the briefest hint of unsteady electricity tickling her near-numb hand. A blue haze. Jaal. An ache in her heart. Desperate, frantic, crying pleas danced at the edges of her hearing, muddied and drawn out, twanged with fear and panic and love, broken. Jaal.

A tear ran down her bloodied, umber face, her voice trembling as her chest heaved and her body shook in protest. A choke, her throat burning and bubbling. Her jaw tensed in protest, nostrils flaring as her voice broke and flickered in and out. “’m sorry. I l-love - ’m s-sorry. I love - You, s-so much.”

_“Fall to darkness, Pathfinder. You were almost worthy.”  
_

* * *

Silence.

_ERROR: Unable to locate Pathfinder profile Janelle Kylie Ryder in connection with SAM Node. Connection to SAM implant interrupted._

Static, broken. Chirping in and out. A distorted, familiar voice, hinting at the edges. Barely there, but there.

_"Kylie, are you there?"_

Silence.

_"Kylie, can you hear me?"_

Silence.

_"Kylie?"_

Silence.

 _Attempting to run a diagnostic scan._  
  
_No vitals have been detected. Connection to the nervous system has been interrupted. Attempting to reconnect to the nervous system's implant._  
_{EstablishingConnection};_  
_{AttemptingReconnection}_  
_{Error.BadGateway502.65}_  
_{InitiateSwitchProtocol}_  
  
_ERROR: Unable to detect the nervous system's implant. Attempting to reconnect to the current Pathfinder profile linked with SAM node. No vitals have been detected._  
_{AttemptingReconnection};_  
_{name.profilerunJanelleKylieRyder}_  
_{Error.profileNotFound}_  
  
_ERROR: Unable to locate Pathfinder profile Janelle Kylie Ryder. No heartbeat detected for three minutes. Initiatiing t trans̢fer t̴o͡ desi̶ ̡g͠n͠ated su͡r̷vivo ͏r._  
_͢{̧Establis͠h͏Con͠nec͡t̢i̵o͠n � ̴}̡_  
_� {̨na̧me.̧p̶ro̧fi҉ļerunJ͏amesKyl͢e͏Ryd͞er}_

 _E̦RR̹ͩ̎ OR: ̩͘SA᷉ M ͕̒NO᷅D̦͍̏E ̡NOT̿ F̏ Ȯ̟̽U̫᷁N̮D D U n̈aͦb͍le͢  to͕̳͈ loc̛̐ ate con̎n e̙̾ct̨̟ion̚ ̼t̏o SA̹M No͞{᷈̕{̈́de̵̵̞᷁̌̇᷄ͮ̊̑͜. ̌̃ � A᷁͢tt}}͖͝emp̰᷅t̀ingͨ g t̏o re̖- ẻ̔ ̸̈́͋s̔tà͝b͈ ᷄li̩ͨsh conné c̪tio̯n͔̪̼.|{̵ͬ_  
_{̈/ {ň̘a̞m᷄e.̺ͭp̸rofil̗ ͫer᷄u̖n̋͢ � R̔ydë́r}͝ � ̪̿́ � {{_  
  
_E͙᷆̕R͍̩̿ � ̢͕ͥR̦̫̍O̧̽͋R̼ͫͪ,̫͔ͣ Cͫ̑͛Oͫ̈͆N̘ͬ̑N̝᷿᷉Ẻ̌͏Cͧ̍᷆ T͉̏̂Ỉ͓᷿O͖͎ͨN̥͛͋ N̼ͣ̂Ȏ̸ͪT͈᷂͜ S͍̲͘ E͓ͫ͆͜C͈̆̈́Ụ̧̊Ṟ̷͛E̢̜ͭ.᷉ͭ͡ S̨̘̣A͉̔͟  M̥̳ͬ Ń̘ͅȎ̘᷆D̟᷁᷆E̩᷉ͅ  N̖̐͢Ȍ̶͑T͖̪̃ F͇̣ͩO̡̻ͣ U̲͂͞N̮̖̖D̹̣̤.̙͂̐}̗̓̈́ � ̒͒̎}̘᷉̓ }̃̃̊_

_Ẹ̤̏ � ̛̜͒Ŗ̀̽ O͊̿̚R̜̍̚:̳̫̣ͅ  � ͙̇᷈  N͛ͣ͠ O͇̠͏Ď̗̝E̱͖̤  N̢̼̫O̳̫̒T̙͇̿ F̌ͬ͞Oͬ͗͟ U᷄̑͛ N̪ͫ͠D͎͗͑ E̫̖͏R̗᷄͞Ṟ̳͠Ǒ̫̾ � ͛̒͡R̷̶̓ E᷈̈́͡ � ̨͎͚R̨̮ͧO̸̜ͪR᷈᷆̃ � ͎̾ͯ_


	30. wires

_“Janelle.”_

A gasp escaped her and her grip tightened on the ballpoint pen. "What?" Icy eyes flickered up from her notebook at the voice, her writing pausing as dark, thick brows slowly furrowed. "Who's there?" Her eyes narrowed as she glanced around the room, mouth opening and closing, unsure. The slightest flicker of a memory hit her, the voice suddenly recognizable. Oh - “Sam?”

 _“J-“_ His voice glitched out, breaking and dying down. It sharply flickered back, repeating the same letter over and over until the voice stuttered and fell. A slight tug pulled on her brain, her implant mildly heating, and anxiety surged through her veins. _“Janelle.”_

"Yes?" Worry bit at her heart, her heart skipping. She stood, closing her notebook and carefully setting her pen down before walking over to the side wall of her open living room. A knock on the wall, two soft ones followed by a third loud one, and it hissed down, revealing her old, beaten and scratched gun nestled in the center. She grabbed it, checking for ammo inside of it. 

 _“There,”_ his voice crackled and popped, _“is a problem.”_

“I figured as much, considering that you can barely talk.” Janelle cleared her throat, walking over to her dresser and pulling the bottom drawer open with her heel. “What’s going on? Are you safe?” She asked as she bent down, grabbing out her old, scratched up armor and beginning to clasp it on. Her hands fumbled with the foreign material before it finally snapped on and she sighed.

 _“I do not,”_ a sharp break, his voice melting. _“I do not matter. Kylie is dy – “_ A break, sharply fading in and out. _“Dy-Dying.”_

Cold ran through her body and her gun fell from her hand. It clattered to the floor and her heart stopped, her wide, icy blue eyes staring ahead at the wall as her jaw tensed and her nostrils flared. Hands balled into fists, a sharp breath leaving her. “What?”

 _“The Archon has interrupted my connection to her SAM implant.”_ She sharply bent down as he stuttered through his connection, sharply grasping her gun and slamming the drawer shut. Her hand grasped her coiled hair, pulling it back and twisting it into a tight, half-in ponytail at the nape of her neck and tying a band around it. _“She will die,”_ a break, her breath catching as she started for her doors, _“she will die if you do not do a hardwire reset.”_

Janelle couldn’t breathe as her mind flickered, the thought rushing through her mind nearly making her sick. She stopped in her tracks, her heart heavy. “What about her kid? She’s – She’s pregnant, Sam.” A moment of silence passed. No answer. Her heart stopped. She took in a deep breath, squaring her shoulders and swallowing thickly. “Tell me what I have to do.”

_“Get to - to SAM N-Node.”_

Her feet moved without thought, nearly sprinting through her apartment and slamming her hand on her omnitool. Hydraulics hissed as the doors opened and she bolted through, sharp breaths leaving her as the booming sound of alarms echoed through the station. Bright, red lights flashed here and there, screams and panic running rampant as people bolted from one place to the other.

“Ryder!” A voice started from behind her as she began down the steps to the lower half of the docking bay, moving away from the apartment complex. She hesitated for the briefest second before she continued, shaking her head as she decided to ignore the voice and run down the staircase. “Wait, Janelle!”

She came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, glancing up. A woman was bent over the railing of the staircase, briskly waving down at her in an attempt to grab her attention. “Nozomi? I mean - Captain Dunn?”

“Thank God you’re okay,” Dunn started, breathless, as she rounded the railing and made her way down the steps. “Come on,” she grasped her forearm as she made it to her side, brows slightly furrowing at the sight of her rugged armor. “Where'd you even get that armor? Actually, never mind - We need to get you somewhere safe.”

“Are you kidding me?” Janelle scoffed, yanking her arm free and starting towards the tram. “My kids need me – I’m not going anywhere until their asses are safe and sound.” A pause, her eyes glancing down at her body before she shrugged. "And it's my old armor from my time in the Alliance. Kept it out of sentiment."

"What?" Dunn ran after her, her brows furrowing. “What do you mean they need you? They're going for Meridian right now.”

“Kylie’s dying.” The sharp gasp from the woman nearly made her lose her composure. She cleared her throat as they entered the tram, her hand hitting the holobutton for the Habitation Quarters. “Sam told me his connection to her was interrupted, so I need to fix it.” Her icy gaze caught hers as the tram whirred to life and goosebumps ran across her arms. “Right now. Like, now.”

“How was his connection to hers interrupted?” Dunn started under her breath as Janelle leaned over the railing, her knuckles bulging from her grip. “We only just got an alert that there were intruders – Actually, seconds before you came running down the stairs.” She shook her head, her brows furrowing. "Who's -"

 _“Kett,”_ his voice flickered up again, broken and stuttering. Static echoed through the tram and the lights flickered, fading off before red settled in their place. Shadows cast over their features, bathing them in a dark wash.  _“Kett forces are invading.”_

“No,” Dunn’s eyes widened as she caught her gaze, her head slowly shaking. “No, that’s not possible. We've been spending _months_ preparing for any possibility and we've done –“

_“It is possible. The Archon has severed my link to Kylie’s implant. As I speak, they are working on shutting down SAM Node completely. I am entirely connected to each system of her body; If the Archon succeeds in disconnecting me in its entirety, she will die.”_

The tram doors hissed open and Janelle's hands balled into fists as she pushed away from the railing and they walked out, hands reaching for their holstered guns. “I don’t get it, Sam.” Dunn’s brows furrowed, her grip on her gun’s handle tightening. “Why does the Archon want the Nexus if he’s after Kylie?”

_“He does not want the Nexus nor the Hyperion. He wants Janelle and I.”_

“Me?!” Janelle’s jaw dropped as they rounded the corner, avoiding mobs of panicking people flooding past them. Chaos and fear erupted around them as gunshots started up across the corridor. Her heart skipped. ”Why _me_? I'm not a Pathfinder like my baby is.”

_“You have a SAM implant. It is the exact replica of Kylie’s - If not even better, given that it was originally made with you in mind. He needs us to be able to control Meridian for his own desires.”_

A sharp breath left Janelle. “I don’t understand, Sam.” Her shoulders tensed as her lips pressed together, her eyes searching the flashing red walls as they rounded another corner and rushed through a set of opened doors. People darted past them, hitting her shoulder and sending her stumbling a step back. “Is the Archon going to kill her?”

 _“No."_  A pause long enough to make her feel sick. _"Losing me will.”_

Nausea hit her hard. Gunfire echoed ahead and they ran forward, ducking behind an upturned metal couch. _“I am sorry I cannot help you fight. I took over too much of Kylie’s implant in an attempt to keep her child alive – And losing me will kill them.”_

Dunn peered over their cover, quickly taking out a chosen kett stationed ahead before he could realize they were there. “So, when the comms to our systems dropped, she did too?”

Silence. Their eyes met, a shiver running up their spines. _“You must hurry.”_

* * *

"Hey, guys," James hesitantly started as he walked onto the bridge, his dark brows furrowed and his omnitool glowing a soft orange hue on his wrist. "What's going on down there? My connection to Kay's comms dropped for whatever weird ass reason and I can't -" His words came to an abrupt stop as his icy eyes sharply rolled back and his body fell limp. 

“James?!” Vetra's twanged voice started up as she rushed over and he collapsed against her, her talons digging into his shoulders as her tall body followed his to the floor. “James?" No answer came from him, his lips trembling and his jaw clenching as his eyes struggled to open. Her mandibles flared as they shot wide open, scared. "James, what the fuck?!”

He couldn't answer - A gradual tremor started in his arms, slowly growing and surging through him until his body started to convulse and his unfocused, icy eyes rolled back. Foam started at the corners of his mouth, his locked hair falling over his face as her grip faltered and he roughly fell to his back.

Lexi ran over, her eyes wide as she frantically pulled up her omnitool. His body violently convulsed, uncontrollably shaking as a gag hit him and rolled through. “Wait!” Her voice called out as talons reached for his body. They froze, blue hands grasping the hands and pushing them away, shaking her head. “Don’t touch him, not yet! He's having a seizure.”

"James!" Suvi’s eyes widened as her chair spun around, her hands trembling as they pressed over her mouth at the sight. “What,” she shakily stood, hands gripping the armrests as she watched as his body slowly stopped shaking until he relaxed and his head rolled back. “What’s going on? Is he oka-”

“Hey, I can’t – I can’t get a connection to Kylie’s comms down there.” Kallo interrupted her, furiously tapping away at his controls. “She’s – It’s saying she’s gone, that there’s no original connection.” His brows furrowed as the redhead ran over, leaning over his shoulder as they got to work finding the fault.

Lexi wasn't sure where to look first - She fell to her knees as she reached for the boy's jaw, her hands grasping the light on her belt as she gently lifted his eyelid. “By the Goddess,” she was breathless, her hand slightly trembling as she released it and his eyes rolled back into his head. A hand pressed to check his pulse, a curse mumbled under her breath as she sat back on her heels, her brows furrowing. “Is Sam online?”

Silence fell as they waited for the answer. Her gaze met the turian's, wide and scared, before it trailed over to the salarian and the redhead, their hearts falling as the ship's circulated air system became the only sound. No answer came. Her eyes squeezed shut for the briefest moment before she shook her head and sighed.

Hands balled into fists as she stood, motioning for Vetra to pick him up. “Help me out here." She shook her head and cursed under her breath, reaching for his legs. "We need to get him to the medbay. Be careful with his head.”

* * *

  
Janelle felt sick. She could barely breathe as they gradually made their way through the brunt of the battle, bullets flying over their heads as they ran from one cover to the other. Her gun stalled and she whipped behind the upturned couch, hand slamming against the side of the barrel as she tried to unwedge the over-heated ammo sink. "Fuck -"

“Go ahead,” Dunn nudged her shoulder, watching as another kett fell before she looked down at her. “I’ll cover you – We’ll waste too much time just sitting here waiting for a break in them.”

“Okay.” Janelle took in a steadying, deep breath, squaring her shoulders as she rocked back on her heels. She caught her gaze and nodded her head before throwing herself over her cover, bolting for the doors. “Cover me!” Her frantic voice called out, dodging an array of bullets flying after her as she slid forward and through the malfunctioning doors ahead as they hissed open and close.

Her eyes frantically searched the red-lit halls, Dunn’s voice filling her comms as explosions and gunfire sounded around every corner. _“Cover her!"_  She turned from one way to the other before deciding to take the right and moving quickly. Her footsteps echoed through the halls, barely audible over gunfire.  _"She needs to get to the access tunnel for SAM Node!”_

“Sam, what am I looking for?” Sharp, quick breaths left her as she made her way through the winding halls, icy eyes wide and hyper-focused as she looked from one door to the other. Red lights flickered on and off, walls originally white now a deep, eerie glow with the slightest flicker of red as alarms blared through her ears. It nearly drowned out her senses. “What do I need?”

 _“You must manually send a reboot signal."_  Icy eyes caught the sight of SAM Node's control room and she grinned, heading for the doors as his voice flickered. _"It will fully reset Kylie’s implant and give her back her basic functioning.”_

“To - To default settings?” Hydraulics hissed and doors parted as she bolted inside, hesitating as she brought her omnitool back up to close them. Her eyes frantically searched the control room, wide as they didn't know where to look. Terminal after terminal flickered red and green, unable to decide what they wanted to do before she caught sight of the right one in the corner. “Uh, right?” Her hands gripped the edges of it, her eyes searching the controls.

 _“Yes. To restore the functions that I shouldn’t have taken. I am afraid that damage has been done to her already."_  Her heart sunk, her shoulders slacking in slight defeat. _"With luck, it will not be too major.”_

Fingers worked deftly, tapping the hologram buttons and pulling a small hatch off to the side. A beep, a chime, an error message before the terminal flickered red and reset back to the original settings - A curse muttered under her breath, her head idly nodding as her eyes hyper-focused and she worked diligently. “Okay, working on it.”

 _“One pulse, Janelle."_  Another fervent nod. _"That is all Kylie needs.”_

Screams sounded from behind the closed doors and her fingers tensed. No hesitation, she shook her head and forced the slightly trembling digits back to work. “Just one?” The soft chime of a pulse echoed and she grinned, hitting the button and sending more. One after the other, flooding its notifications - “I’ll send her ten.”

Gunshots echoed and she swallowed thickly. “Probably lets the Archon know I’m here, though.”

_“I’m sorry, Janelle.”_

She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she went from one terminal to the other, getting to work putting on software locks. “I’m not.”

* * *

“I – I can’t get a _fucking_ connection to them!” Frustration hit him _hard_ , angry fists slamming into the metal wall before he slammed his forehead against it. "God, fucking Tempest, _please_ -" Liam's stubbly face contorted in grief, hands trembling as he grabbed handfuls of his coiled hair and _broke,_ slowly sliding down to his knees. His eyes slowly flickered over to her limp body and he grossly gasped, his chest heaving. "Oh, my God."

The sound of Drack’s armored body slamming into the door echoed through the small room, each jolt near the brunette’s body only making his sobs grow worse and worse. “Lala,” the brunette's voice broke and he buried his face in his shaky hands, nails digging into skin.

The krogan growled, hands balling into fists as he took a step away from the doors before he whipped out his gun and smashed it against the metal. “Ru’shan," his eyes flickered over to her body, grief wrecking his hearts before another hit, another hit, one after the other as each hit grew more frantic, "goddamnit, open the _fuck_ up!”

“Kylie,” Jaal’s unsteady voice broke, his big hands trembling as he grasped under her head and between her shoulders. He gently lifted her up, his eyes taking in her unmoving face and her closed eyes. Her twin braids fell behind her shoulders, her umber skin dull. Dark blood slowly ran down her freckled face, smeared and speckled as he gently wiped it off. It stained his light gloves, his bright eyes frantically searching her face as her chest remained still. “Please.”

No answer, no breath, no twitch in her nose. No upcurled, cheeky grin, no laugh in her voice and no twinkle in her bright eyes. No haughty, deep laugh that he loves, that toothy smile he'd fallen in love with. No raunchy jokes, no stupid puns, no big smiles and happy laughs in the middle of the night. Unmoving, quiet, not her, not herself, not the woman he fell in love with, limp and gone and - 

“Please, you can’t –" A crack in his voice, his nostrils flaring as his lips trembled. "You can’t do this to me, Kylie. I can't lose you, please -”  
  
Tears ran down his cheeks as he desperately swallowed back the knot in his throat, eyes overflowing and tears falling onto her cheeks as he broke and cried out, pulling her lifeless body against him. “Y-You can’t – “ Her dark blood smeared across his cheek and stained the collar of his rofjinn as he buried his face in her neck, his chest heaving as a sob ripped through him. A desperate hand cradled her jaw, horribly shaking, pleading, begging. “Talshae, _please_ –“

A trembling hand freed itself to trail down and lay over her stomach, his bioelectricity wildly spiking in a near-frantic plea for a sign of something, anything, _please, you can't do this to me, not now, not ever, I love you so much and I can't imagine living with you here, we were supposed to get married and have our kids and be happy together and and_  –

The briefest spark danced through his and connected with his electric signature before it abruptly faded and his heart broke.

* * *

  
A hiss sounded as the doors to the room whirred open and her gun snapped up. “Hey,” Janelle nonchalantly grinned as armed and armored kett flooded the room. She looked at each and every one of them, eyes wide as she met their gazes. “Glad you could make it – I was beginning to worry you’d miss out on the party! It's been really fun so far.”

A scoff. “I have no time for these useless idioms and euphemisms that your kind loves.” His deep, near-monotonous voice nearly made her shiver. Nearly. She watched as the Archon slowly strolled into the room, eyes taking in the majority of the control terminals. “Interesting. I’ll have more time to study this later.” He tilted his head, a hand idly gesturing in her vague direction. “Collect her.”

“Wait, you’re taking me out? Just like that?” Her gun fired and a bullet ripped through one of the kett’s skulls. Blood and gore splattered and she slightly recoiled, her eyes narrowing as her gun snapped over to shoot another. “No dinner and movie first? I’m not _that_ easy – I actually have standards, you know.”

The Archon sighed, fingers pressing against the bridge of his nose as irritation raced up his rigid spine. Gunshots briefly exchanged before her gun clattered from her hand and arms wrapped around her body, hefting her up and pinning her there. Her boots skidded across the floor as the kett dragged her, stopping just short of the man's towering body. Their gazes met and she rolled her eyes at him.

“You’re her mother.” A slow grin pulled at his lips as he paused, gripping her chin and sharply turning her head from one side to the other. Her dark brows furrowed and her nostrils flared as he yanked her back to face him. “Yes, you are. Intriguing. You two sound alike – Hopefully you retain even an ounce of intelligence, unlike her –“

Spit splattered across his face before he could register it, his eyes widening. Silence fell between them as he pulled back from her and his finger wiped the wetness on his cheek, the digit pulling away with a wet trail. A shit-eating grin curled the corner of her full lips and he growled low, grabbing the collar of her shirt and yanking her face mere inches from his. “You’ll regret this.”

“Not as much as you’ll regret taking me as your ‘prisoner’.” Janelle pursed her lips, glaring him down before coughing in his face. "Sorry, got a bit of a cold." She smirked, grossly clearing her throat. A sniffle hit her before she squeezed her eyes shut and, right before he could process it, loudly sneezed all over his face.

Thick, gross snot splattered across his cheeks. His eyes slowly narrowed and he pushed her back, nostrils flaring. “Get her out of here.”

* * *

  
Silence, strange and heavy. Fog danced around her, memories rushing just behind darkness before a familiar presence popped up through the fog. An all too familiar voice, a familiar stance, familiar, familiar familiar - "Back again?" A scoff. "C'mon, I know you're not _that_ shitty at this. You're not done just yet, kiddo." Familiar, but where? Who? "Say hey to my grandkids for me when they come. They'll have one hell of a mother." Her mouth opened and closed, confusion settling in before a grab and a push and she was falling -  
  
A groan gurgled in the back of her throat.

Pain pulsed, ripped, ached through her body as she shot straight up. Her mind swam, voices, muddied and muted and frantic, echoed around her ringing ears and making her cringe. _Oh, my God._ Something chipped the tip of her head, electricity tickling her hypersensitive skin and sending her into shock. Fear raced up her spine. “Don’t –“ Her voice cracked, faded, broken. _I died. Again. Holy fucking shit, I can't breathe._

“Please, don’t –“ A breathless tremor inched through her voice, choking on air. Tears rolled down her face, her icy eyes scared as she looked around the room. Fog blurred her vision. Dark, glowing walls spun as her body threw herself forward and away from lingering, electric hands and right onto her hands and knees. _I died._

A fist balled up, weakly hit the floor. _I fucking died._

Blood splattered from her mouth as she coughed, her body curling in. The back of her hand wiped away the red, staining her dark gloves. _I died and –_ Panic overwhelmed her as she sat back on her heels and her hand gripped her mouth, a sob ripping from her as her eyes shot wide open and a whimper escaped. _I’m pregnant._ _My kid._ Her other hand grabbed her wrist, her body curling forward before arms pulled her back. _Oh, my God. I’m pregnant and I died. We died – My kid –_

“- _love_.” A soothing, familiar and warm voice slowly faded into clarity, her breathing trembling as she melted back against the source and she _cried_  and _cried_ _,_ her voice grossly breaking and her teeth nearly chattering. “Don’t – Don’t touch me, please –“

“My love,” strong arms crossed her torso despite her begs as the voice trembled, holding her against him while his bioelectricity sputtered a crazy pattern. “I-I thought…” Sobs mingled with hers and her heart broke as her eyes hesitantly opened, catching the sight of the angara breaking down above her. His face contorted in grief and her stomach flipped.

A tear fell from his cheek, falling to hers and her body turned around all too quickly. "Jaal," nausea hit her hard, the room spinning as she faced him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I died,” they tightened, nails digging into the fabric of the rofjinn over his shoulders, and she pressed her forehead against his. Her jaw tensed as her eyes squeezed shut, trembling lips pressing together to hold back the urge to throw up. “I – I... We died, our kid – Our _fucking_ kid -”

“I know.” Jaal’s voice trembled, a shaky sigh leaving him as hands pressed her against him. He savored how she felt, the warmth radiating from her – A slight pull away allowed him to take in her soft features, his trembling hands cradling her jaw as bright eyes followed the line of freckles across her face, over her rounded, wide nose. They met her bright eyes, full of life, and he sobbed. “Stars, I know –“ His voice broke and he pulled her back, a soul-crushing hug grounding her.

Her body ached as her eyes shot wide open in shock and she pushed him back. Legs trembled as she weakly stood, a tremor rushing through her cold bones. “I – They…” She fervently shook her head, the motion sending a bout of nausea up her spine, wiping away the blood stained across her face as she limped towards the Remnant console. “They have – James, Mom –“

Voices clamored around her as she fell forward against the glowing stand, a grossly weak hand reaching out. A tug in her brain and a scream ripped from her as the orange nodules shot to her fingertips and electricity ran through her hand and to her brain. The doors briefly nudged open before clamping shut. “Oh, my God,” her voice broke as tears pricked her icy eyes and she swallowed thickly, her stomach heaving as she reached back out. “We – We need to get back.”

“Kylie, stop!” Jaal’s voice just barely broke a yell, his hand gripping her wrist and pulling it away just as the orange flickered back up and inched up her arm and she _screamed_ – The sound sent a shiver right up his spine and his heart _hurt_. "You're hurting yourself!" Doors ahead barely moved, her heart skipping and her brain straining under the connection.

“Lala, for real, you need to stop.” A familiar voice - Liam. His dark brows furrowed as he approached the console, hands gripping the edges as she avoided his gaze. His omnitool flickered in the corners of her vision, her heart hurting. “Your vitals are fucking crazy – You’re going to send yourself into a goddamn heart attack!”

“I – I can’t, we need to get back –” Her eyes briefly caught the worry in his and she gagged, the sound broken, ripping her hand away from his grip in favor of reaching back out. The console fought against her – Pain shot through her arm and up to her brain with each try, her throat raw from screams. With a spark, the connection rushed through her body and her eyes bulged, her free hand’s nails digging into her arm and leaving marks. Lips pressed together hard, teeth digging into the skin as she _cried_ –  

Pain ripped through her body and her brain struggled to handle the connection – Lights flashed in her vision and her throat ached, her surroundings muted and hazy as her body slumped forward against the console and the doors ahead gave way, hissing open. Blood dripped down her nose, running over her full lips and leaving a stained trail down to her slightly rounded chin.

She felt numb.

“You can’t keep fucking doing this!” Liam’s hands gripped her shoulders, gently pushing her up as the angara’s hands met her lower back to steady her. “You’re going to kill yourself before we even leave this fucking place!” She couldn't look at him. He bent down, catching her unfocused, teary gaze and gently grasping her jaw. Their eyes met and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Please, Kylie."

“Ru’shan!” A deep voice made her sniffle, tears rushing down her face at the beloved nickname before she could realize it and strong arms picked her up. She felt… Done. Ready; Ready to lay down and just… Die. She was exhausted, tired, no purpose to anything, nothing meant anything anymore. The thought of her stomach made her want to curl up and – “Ru’shan, if you pull a stunt like that again, I’m gonna fuckin’ kill your ass.”

Her eyes couldn’t open.

Static flickered through their comms, a familiar, perky voice stuttering in between the lines. _“Ryder, come in – Oh, I don’t think it’s going to work, Suvi. It's -”_ An irritated sigh followed by a soft giggle, a sputter escaping him as he realized – “ _Hey - Hey."_

The sound made her eyes squeeze shut even tighter, nostrils flaring as her jaw trembled and she swallowed back the bite of bile. “Ready bluebutt for our arrival,” the krogan let out a shaky breath as their stomping boots echoed through the lit chambers. “Ru’shan’s injured, bad.”

_“By the Goddess – James is, too.”_

“What?!” Liam’s voice cracked and her heart dropped, his hand reaching out and grabbing the angara’s shoulder as his chocolate eyes shot wide open. “He’s what? Please tell me you didn’t just say he’s injured too – He wasn’t even here with us! Are you shitting me, Lexi?!”

_“I’m not sure what happened – Just as our comms went down, he did, too. First, he had a seizure and now, he just… He isn’t – He still hasn’t woken up yet and I… I don’t know, Liam. I’ve been running tests since he went down and I’m finding nothing wrong with him. He's unresponsive.”_

“He’s,” Kylie’s voice struggled to pick up and she weakly cleared her throat. A foreign hand wiped away the blood splattered beneath her nose and she let out a trembling breath as the krogan repositioned his grip on her. “I think our connection to Sam –” Her voice faded and she gagged, pressing her hand against her mouth. “It’s broken. I don’t feel him anymore.”

_“Why would it do this to him, though? With you I can understand, given that you’re the Pathfinder and –“_

Her eyes shot wide open, her voice breathless as a realization hit her and her stomach lurched. A sharp breath left her, her hands tensing. “I made him Pathfinder.”

“What?!” The collective, shocked voices around them sent a pulsing ache straight through to her brain. "What?" Drack was the first to come back to his senses, his brows furrowing as they ran down the ramp to the final bridge out of the Remnant building on Khi Tisera. Lights flickered around them and her eyes squeezed shut. “You did fucking _what_ now?”

“Before – Before we came here the first time, I got scared." Kylie's eyes hesitantly opened, staring down at her hands. "I – I told Sam to make him the next in line if I died. I did. I died, so he transferred the connection to James. I think. I hope. I - I don't know.”

“Why did you do that?!” Jaal’s brows furrowed as he stared down at her, his mouth opening and closing with a lack of words. A scoff escaped him, his bright eyes blinking quickly as his head shook. “I – I don’t –“

“I don’t know what’s going on, okay?!” Her voice rose and cracked, breaking as tears rolled down her face. “I don’t know if that’s really what happened! I’m fucking _scared_! I just fucking died and for all we know, our kid is fucking dead, too!” She buried her head in the krogan’s armored chest, a sob escaping her. “I just wanna see Mom. I need to know that they're okay, okay -”

His heart nearly broke, his eyes wide. “Talshae - My love, I’m so sorry –“ A shaky breath left him as he willed himself to remain calm and he reached out, tucking loose, dark baby hairs behind her ear. She swallowed thickly, wiping at her eyes as she leaned back and looked up at him with the saddest eyes. Hurt flickered in her eyes and he felt horrible. “I’m…” He squeezed his blue eyes shut, his head tilting down as his hand trailed over her twin braids. “I don’t know.”

The sight of the Tempest flooded their bodies with utter relief as they made it to the edge of the final bridge. Liam was ready to have a full on _meltdown_ , his feet not moving nearly fast enough to the ramp while the krogan’s grip on the girl tightened. “You good enough to walk, ru’shan?”

Kylie took in a shaky breath as she slightly nodded, her weak hands tightly gripping his shoulders as he carefully lowered her. Jaal gripped her hips, steadying her before wrapping his arm around her waist as one of hers wrapped around his for support.

Lexi rushed down from the ramp, her brows furrowing as she met them halfway. “If you do something like that _ever_ again, I swear to every god possible that _I_ will be the end of you.” She helped support her other side, carefully guiding her up the ramp to their ship.

“Wait!” Cora started, her light brows furrowed from her spot at the top of the ramp. “If Sam's completely down, then something's happening at the Nexus. The Archon could be invading it as we speak – We have nothing to work with. Our ship doesn’t even have defenses!”

Vetra snorted. “You’re kidding, right? We’ll be fine – We have plenty of people to call on.”

“Vetra, it’s not that and you know –“ Their voices overlapped in argument, the asari gently releasing the girl as she walked up to them and furrowed her brows. Irritation raced through her eyes as she took on her motherly stance, hand on her hip as a finger raised.

Kylie glanced around the area, her breathing harsh and uneven before she caught the sight of a Remnant console. "Oh," her eyes widened. She tapped the angara’s shoulder, a shaky finger pointing out its location. “We need to –“

“No.” Jaal shook his head before she could finish, his grip tightening around her. She stared at him incredulously, his eyes widening and his brows furrowing. “It _hurts_ you, Kylie! I can’t – You can’t do this to yourself. I watched you die. I watched your body shut down right in front of me,” his voice cracked as he kissed the top of her head, his breath shaky. "I can't let you hurt yourself again, Kylie! It will be the end of me, I can't -"

“I’ll fucking do it if it means that I’ll be saving every-fucking-one, Jaal!” The look in her eyes sent a shiver up his spine and his lips pressed together. "I have to," her voice trembled. Gazes locked and challenged each other, her nostrils flaring, before he sighed and gave in, turning them around and aiding her as she weakly limped over to the glowing console.

His eyes squeezed shut and his head looked away as her hand reached out and she cried out, orange sparks dancing up her arm as her free hand dug marks into his waist. His heart broke, lips pressing together as tears pricked at his eyes. The keys slowly pushed in and out, fighting against her and sparks dancing behind her eyes before it gave way and she fell forward. Blood trailed down her mouth, a hand reaching up to wipe it away.

Arguments sharply died as a loud hum echoed through the ground, up through their legs as lights flickered on and whirring boomed around the city. Remnant ship after Remnant ship turned and hissed to life, emitting a brilliant glow as they rose into the air. Buildings lit up, turrets slowly spinning out from the ground and assembling themselves before they flickered to life, a brilliant blue.

“Well, that takes care of that.” Cora chuckled breathlessly, awe in her voice as she glanced over only to catch the sight of the girl falling to her knees. “Oh, my God – Ryder!” She rushed over, followed closely by the other two as the angara knelt and gripped her shoulders. His eyes widened as she gasped, the sound broken and wretched, her body weak.

Her breathing came out in sharp bursts, her chest heaving and her stomach convulsing as bile bit at the back of her throat and she curled over, throwing up. Lights blinded her vision and ringing stung her ears, drowning out her senses as buzzing hands pulled her up. Consciousness flickered at the edges, her eyes fluttering before a hazy voice filled her surroundings and blackness ate her alive.

“Kylie!” A gasp, another voice. "Goddess - Her biotic implant is overheating! Get her to the medbay, now!"


	31. heir of grief

Panic raced up her spine as her body shot up, icy eyes blurry and heavy as the walls of the room spun around her. A rush of needing to leave, to get out, to do something, _anything_ took control of her, wide blue eyes frantically searching for nothing. Her trembling hand ripped the intravenous line out of her arm, fumbling as legs swung over the side of the bed and nausea hit her hard.

The pain rushing through her was enough to make her fall over, collapse, give up - Red flickered at the edges of her vision and a tense tug yanked at the back of her eyes. "Oh," her voice cracked and faded, rough. Eyes squeezed shut against the surge of pain at her own voice, her hands pressing against her head as she gagged and tried to stand. Her legs horribly shook, giving out, and she fell back down to the bed.

“Kylie,” a breathless, familiar, and warm voice made her body freeze. The electric hands grasping her shoulders and keeping her from standing made her feel… Anything. Everything. Too much and just enough, hitting her all at once and making her feel all too numb. A tense feeling took over her body. “Wait - Don’t get up, my love.”

Thick, dark brows slowly furrowed, her body slightly wobbling from side to side as she finally registered who it belonged to and she looked over at the angara. The fear gripping her heart, the desire to run away, instantly melted away at the sight of him. “Why?” Her hoarse voice broke and she tried to clear it, only to recoil in absolute pain at the harsh burn in the back of her throat.

Jaal gently guided her legs back over the bed, warm arms wrapping around her waist and carefully pulling her back against him as he stretched out on the medbay bed. A shaky sigh left him as his hand wiped away the blood from the nook of her elbow, emotion tugging heavily at his deep, soft voice. “Because you just went through two surgeries that gave me enough anxiety for an entire year.”

“Wait, what? Two surgeries?” She softly gasped, the sound sending a sharp bolt of pain through her head. It hurt to think, let alone breathe. The slightest movement with her eyes _ached,_ a sharp feeling dancing behind her vision. “What do you mean?”

“Your biotic implant had finally kicked the bucket. It melted, from what I heard.” A dark brow quirked up at his effortless use of the idiom and the slickest flicker of a grin on his bright face made her smile, sluggish. “So, Lexi had to take yours out and put in a new one. When she was operating, she said that she’d found microscopic tears on various parts of your brain and tried to fix them.”

Her heart dropped. “I have brain damage?”

“And you’ll get more,” a smooth, familiar voice interrupted them. Her fingers tapped away at her omnitool, a slight moment of hesitation hitting her words as she glanced at her datapad, before she looked back down at her faintly glowing wrist and continued. “If you keep interacting with Remnant consoles without Sam's assistance, that is.”

Kylie’s eyes trailed over to the asari sat at her desk. How long had she been sitting there? A hand enveloped hers and the spike of his bioelectricity sent a tendril of warmth through her, her body completely and utterly relaxing. She swallowed thickly. “How - How much did I miss while I was...”

“Not much. James woke up, surprisingly. He said he can’t feel Sam either, so I’m not sure if the transfer of Pathfinder authority actually went through.” Lexi spared them a glance, her brows slowly furrowing before she looked back down. Her chest rose and fell with a deep breath. “We should be arriving at what we deemed to be Meridian in a few hours.”

A moment dragged out between them, her voice reluctant. “I…” She took in another deep breath, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose as hesitation bit at her. “I haven’t told you about your child, yet.” A sigh escaped her as she stood, her omnitool's orange glow flickering off. “I wanted to wait to tell the both of you until you had woken up.”

Her heart nearly stopped at the words, dropping as her stomach sank and she suddenly couldn’t breathe anymore. “What do you mean you haven’t, ‘told me about my kid’? What’s –“ She looked up at the angara, her teary eyes wide and fear gripping her body, frozen. Every second that passed felt like hours. “What’s wrong with them? Are they okay? Are they, they – Am I having a-a – A mis-”

“Shh," a quiver in her lip almost broke her, the angara's words numbing. "Relax, my love.” Arms tightened around her and she swallowed down the bubble that threatened to burst in her throat, eyes squeezing tightly shut against her burning tears as her lips pressed together. Trembling hands grasped his and he held her tighter, the rush of gratitude she felt nearly swallowing her alive.

“Your child is fine, Kylie.” Wonder gripped the doctor's voice, cold rushing through her spine. “I have no idea how they are, considering that you suffered not only a heart attack, but also your nervous system completely shutting down completely for, what I assume to be, seven minutes. _Seven minutes_. That should’ve killed _you_ , Kylie.” She took a few hesitant steps towards them, her hand trailing over her desk before it fell and she looked over at her. “And them.”

A beat passed before her tired brain processed the words. Her jaw dropped. “Them?”

“When I was running a few diagnostic tests on your body before surgery, I decided to listen for a heartbeat. Just to see.” A pause, a moment of silence that made her want to scream, rip her hair out. “I was terrified to find the answer to the question I'd been asking since you went down. I had discovered…” Words trailed off and she shook her head, taking in the softest breath. "Here," she lifted her wrist and her omnitool flickered on. “It’s better to show you.”

Lexi approached them as her fingers scrolled down a numbered list on the orange holoscreen, sitting down beside the girl’s legs as one of the tests' results stretched across the display. A soft smile danced across her face as she pressed play and the raven's eyes widened, the gradual sound of two overlapping heartbeats echoing through the medbay until it was all they could hear. His grip on her tightened.

His bioelectricity faltered. She was going to cry.

“Two. I had found two heartbeats.” Her awe-filled words sent a shiver straight up her spine, her heart burning with the strongest feeling she couldn't put her finger on. Icy blue eyes brimmed with tears as she looked up at the angara, an infinitesimally strange look flickering in his blue eyes and his breath caught. The doctor’s voice laced with awe as she continued. “They're alive, Kylie. You’re having twins.”

* * *

  
Liam couldn’t stop staring at him. Gentle fingers traced a soft pattern from his temple down to his jaw, their bodies pressed against each other's on his couch.

Trembling hands gingerly cradled his stubbly face, disbelief dancing in chocolate eyes as icy ones met them and his entire being relaxed with a soft breath. His eyes slowly took in James’ face, committing every feature to memory, every freckle dotting and forming constellations across his umber skin. The slightest twitch of his favorite smile tugged at his heartstrings and he nearly broke.

“You know," his voice cracked, laced with the smallest bit of anxiety, "sometimes I forget just _how_ cute you are, JJ. Like, for real.” Thumbs brushed over his cheeks, savoring the feel of the texture against his fingertips. Something he thought he'd lost. A slight tense of his jaw made his heart sink, his lip quivering. “When I saw you layin’ back in the medbay, I –“ His throat fell heavy and full, a break in his tone.

“Lili,” James' voice came out hoarse, a near-croak. The brunette shook his head, teary eyes squeezing shut as full lips pressed together to hold back a sob. He took in a shuddering breath, his nose brushing against the raven’s as his trembling words murmured against his lips. “I watched how fucking brutal getting connected to Sam was. Lala had six fucking seizures because her goddamn brain couldn’t handle the connection at first. Her heart stopped _twice_.”

"She was dead for twenty-three fucking seconds." A shudder ran through his body, his nostrils flaring as his chest heaved and his voice broke with a soft sob. “I can’t imagine losing you fucking _twice,_ JJ. I already lost you _once,_ I – I can't -“

“I’m right here, you silly." Shaking hands came up to rest over his, gently wrapping around his wrists as his grip tightened on his jaw. "I didn’t leave you, I can't leave you, and I won’t leave you – Not now, not ever.” A pause fell between them, bright eyes searching his sullen face before chocolate eyes squeezed shut. His heart skipped. "Liam.”

A shaky scoff escaped him as he fought back his tears, the brunette's jaw tensing as he sharply looked away. Stupid, his brain repeated, over and over as his head shook side to side. Stupid, stupid, stupid. A sob bit at him and he tried to disguise it as a snort, the noise horribly broken, wretched.

James' heart fell. “Look at me, Liam.”

Hesitation bit at him as he slowly, reluctantly, tilted his head back at look at him. Tears swelled in his chocolate eyes as he glanced under his thick eyelashes at him, eyes locking and a slow breath leaving him. A rush of goosebumps tickled his skin as grief tugged at the edges of his features the longer he stared, a tear rolling down his cheek before he nearly lost it and he hiccuped.

“I’m here and I’m here to stay. I'm not ever leaving, okay? I can’t just up and leave your ass behind – How will you function without kisses from me?” James grinned, hands falling from his wrists in favor of cradling his stubbly, trembling jaw. “The answer is you can’t, by the way. You whine too much when you don’t get any." His eyes flickered from his wide nose to his sad eyes, his heart skipping. "I love you.”

"God, I fucking love you _more_." A soft kiss relaxed him, his body rolling over to straddle his. Hands grasped his, fingers lacing as he brought them to either side of his head and a quiet sigh escaped him. He took in the way his locked black hair framed his face, his chest painfully squeezing and his stomach twisting at the mere thought. “If you pull shit like that _ever_ fuckin’ again,” his forehead pressed to his, a shaky breath in, out. “I’ll fuckin’ lose it.”

* * *

  
Kylie couldn’t stop shaking.

Twins.

She’s having twins.

 _Twins_.

“I can’t believe it.” A tremble settled deep in her arms as her grip tightened around the angara's shoulders. “I mean,” she felt breathless as he hitched her up higher in his arms, careful not to hit her against the walls as he made his way down the hallway. “I kind of figured I would because I am a twin, but… It's different when you actually _know_. God, Jellybean.”

Relief coursed through her body, unable to believe just how lucky she was. She should've died. They should've died. _How did I get so lucky?_  The happiest grin danced across her tired, sullen face, her words leaving her in a soft rush as she pressed the gentlest kiss against his high cheekbone. “We’re having twins, like...”

“I know,” he hasn't been able to wipe the big smile off of his face for a solid hour, now. A pause at their doors, a free hand snaking free to maneuver for his omnitool, before the doors to their quarters hissed open and he made his way over to their bed. "I truly can't believe it, either. I feel as though I am dreaming right now. What did you call it?" His brows furrowed in thought before he grinned.

"Ah, a fever dream, I believe." Careful hands gently sat her down at the foot of the bed, grasping her hands as he knelt down in front of her. A soft spurt of his bioelectricity numbing her fingers made her jump and he alternated kisses from the tops of both of her wrists, trailing up to her knuckles. “The start of our big, beautiful family.”

A strange feeling pulled at her heart and made it feel heavy in only the best way. She pulled him up, intertwined hands landing behind her as their noses brushed and his warm breath ghosted across her cheeks. “I love you,” her lips slightly trembled and he stilled it with a kiss, their eyes falling shut. His body pressed against hers as his head tilted and he kissed her again, a soft sigh ghosting across her lips.

Hands unwound from his to work on the clasps of his rofjinn. Bright blue eyes squeezed shut and he pulled back, his flat nose brushing hers as he grasped her hands and stopped her, swallowing thickly. “My love, I can’t – I’m afraid that I’ll hurt you, given what you just went through.”

“You won’t,” Kylie’s voice sounded so soft, so gentle, as she stared at him. “You could never hurt me, even if you tried.”

“And I would never.” A feeling he couldn't put his finger on rushed through his veins, his legs falling numb and tingly. His hands took hers and gently guided them back to the clasps, aiding her in unwinding them. “I will never hurt you, not for as long as I shall live.”

The rofjinn fell from his shoulders and pooled at his feet. He gently scooted her further back against the bed, climbing after her as she laid down. His hands softly grasped hers and their fingers laced, her legs falling open as his body claimed the empty spot and he brought their intertwined hands to either side of her head. Bioelectricity tickled at her fingers, rushing down her arms and through her body as he swallowed thickly.

“And for as long as I shall live, no person, no creature, no _being_ in this entire world will _ever_ hurt you like I have just watched.” Jaal’s voice cracked with anger, his expression darkening for a fleeting moment, before he cleared his throat. “The Archon will wish he had _never_ been created after I am done with his useless _ass_.”

Her throat felt full and her heart felt heavy at his slip in words, the spike in his electricity nearly breaking her heart. She sniffled, her wavering voice breaking as her jaw slightly tensed. “You’re gonna make me cry.”

“I’m sorry, my love.” His nose brushed hers as he claimed her in another kiss, sweeter and deeper than before. Hands left hers in favor of undoing the easy-release clasp on her rofjinn, the red material falling and pooling around her body. “I love you, so much.”

Another kiss, her teary eyes falling shut as she undid the first zipper for his under armor. "I love you, too. So _fucking_  much."

“I watched the light leave your eyes,” a tremble in his heavy voice sent a shiver up her spine. His hands met the hem of her loose shirt and electricity left goosebumps in its wake as his fingers trailed up her bare stomach. They paused just under her bra, hooking under the soft edge, and brought the garment up with her shirt. “I watched you take your last breath.”

The softest gasp came from her as tears rolled down her face and she fervently wiped them away, her voice cracking. “I couldn’t hear you talking.” Her jaw tensed as she sniffled, his hands falling from her shirt in favor of cradling her tensing jaw. “I didn’t even know if you could hear me when I was – When I –“

“I did.” His thumbs brushed under her eyes, wiping away the tears that had escaped. “I heard every word. I love you _more_ , infinitely more.” He kissed her as a sob broke free, silencing it in its tracks. “I love you more than what I had assumed to be possible.”

A shaky breath left him. He slightly pulled away, just enough to give him purchase to pull her shirt and her bra off, before capturing her in another kiss, more frantic, deeper. “Whenever I look at you,” his hands trailed down her body as she took in a soft breath, pausing at the waistband of her shorts, “I get this feeling that I have never felt before in my life.”

“I do, too.” Her voice trembled, soft. “I feel safe when I’m with you. I – I’ve never felt like this with anyone before.” Her hands undid another zipper, fumbling on a difficult clasp. “Especially after everything I went through with Vallien. I… I kept my guard up big time after him. I didn't think that I'd ever get over him, not with how hurt I felt over it.”

“And I am so eternally grateful that you allowed me to see you, to get to know you, with your guard down.” Jaal’s fingers hooked in the waistband of her shorts, gently pulling them down. “I know how difficult it is for your kind to be seen vulnerable, in a position where they can allow their emotions to be easily seen by others.”

A shuddering breath left her as her shorts trailed down her legs, over her feet, and he tossed them off to the side. “I remember the first time you talked to me about how you felt – It was something you had deemed not important, but I could tell that it had bothered you greatly. It seemed as though it changed you that day, in a strange way.”

“What was it?”

“You had mentioned that you had watched a man yell at, what you assumed to be, his wife.” Fingers hooked in the hem of her panties. “I watched the anger dance in your eyes as you spoke, burning like a fire as you went on to talk about how you, ‘tore him a new one’. You couldn’t fathom how people could mistreat their partners in such a way.”

“Oh, yeah.” A soft giggle laced with disbelief left her as she shook her head. “I think I was channeling how Vallien made me feel when I saw that happening. He’d always yell at me for the stupidest shit – Shit that wasn’t even my fault.” She swallowed thickly as he pulled her panties off, a strange feeling rushing over her bare body. “Nobody was defending her, so I had to.”

“That is my point. You didn’t _have_ to do anything – What you did for her was out of the kindness of your own heart. I know that you like to say that you’re worthless, that you mean nothing and that people would be better off without you here.” His fingers aided hers in taking off the rest of his under armor, bits and pieces giving way until it fell off his body.

“But what you did for that woman?” He kicked off the garment and pushed it off the bed. “You might have saved her life that day.” Hands cradled her jaw, noses brushing as his bright eyes searched her icy ones. “Perhaps you helped her find the courage to stand up for herself. Perhaps you shone a new light on her perspective, possibly helped her to see a new view of herself.”

“Jaal…” Icy blue eyes caught his gaze, tears pricking the corners. Her voice cracked. “Are you talking about me?”

“I might be.”

* * *

  
“I’m scared for her.” His deep voice broke her from her trance, the datapad in her hand lowering as her eyes widened. Arms circled around her shoulders and pulled her back, a breath leaving her. A soft huff escaped the krogan, eyes narrowing as his nose twitched at the thought. “I’m fucking, goddamn _scared_ for my ru’shan, bluebutt.”

“I know,” Lexi said softly, leaning back and tilting her head up. The soft beat of a machine danced through the air, a breath leaving her. “I am, too. She shouldn’t physically be able to handle this – I’m terrified for when she _has_ to interact with any more consoles.” Her eyes squeezed shut, a shiver running up her spine. “And you know she's going to have to, given where we're going. But she’s a strong woman, Drack.”

“Yeah, she fucking is.” A soft hum rumbling deeply in his chest as his chin pressed against the top of her head. Her hand came up to cradle his jaw and he leaned into her touch. “My ru’shan has always been tough as balls, but I just don’t know if her brain can fuckin’ handle this. It’s one thing to even interact with alien technology we barely even understand, let alone try to process it without the help of that creepy-ass AI yappin' in her brain.”

“He’s not creepy, you know. Without Sam’s help, we probably wouldn’t have made it this far.” The asari's hands came down to rest over his, her fingers idly tapping an uneven beat over the tough skin of his scarred-over knuckles. “Not to mention that she wouldn’t be alive right now if it weren’t for him.” Her voice fell soft, quiet, as her hands trailed up to cradle his jaw. “You know I love you, right?”

Drack couldn’t help the big grin that danced across his face, his mean facade fading and giving way to utter happiness. “Damn right, I fucking do!” Hands gently spun the chair around to grasp her hands, pulling her up and into his arms. “You know that I love you _so_ -fucking-much more, right? 'Cause I do.”

"Oh," her giggle flitted through the room, words murmured against his lips as hands grasped his head and pulled him into a kiss. “I do.”

* * *

  
Soft moans echoed through the room, a quiet gasp broken by a frantic kiss. Hands reached for purchase on the pillow behind her head, bright eyes fluttering shut as her back arched and scattered kisses trailed down her neck. A shaky breath left her in a rush, followed by his name. “I love you,” her voice trembled as she came back down from her high, hands shaking as she cradled his jaw.

“I love you more,” words left him all too quickly as his hands left her hips in favor of grasping her hands, fingers lacing as he pressed them down against the white sheets on either side of her head. Hips snapped faster, foreheads pressing together before a gasp escaped him and he captured her in a kiss that made her toes curl and her breath falter.

Her breathing came out heavy as his body pressed hers down, grip tightening on their interlaced hands as a broken moan left him and his eyes fell shut. “So much more,” his husky, deep voice came out strained as he kissed her again and again and _again_ , eyes falling shut as their movements grew lazy, soft, until they finally stilled.

A heavy feeling pulled at his heart, aching. He could stay like this forever. His finger softly poked one shoulder then the other, before pressing against the center of her forehead. “My sun, my moon, and my stars.” A kiss followed it, soft. “I will forever adore you.”   

“And I will forever adore you, too.” Shaky hands carded over the back of his smooth head, over the soft ridges. She paused at the gnarled scar resting over one of the fleshy bumps, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss against it before falling back. Her thumb ghosted over the piercings over one of them, cool metal meeting hot skin. “I love you.”

“I love you _more_.” A happy, lazy smile tugged at his lips as he brushed her coiled, dark hair behind her ears, taking in the way her curls formed a stark halo around her head against the white sheet of the pillow. It contrasted in the loveliest way, his heart feeling full. “Beautiful.”

Kylie’s fingers slowly trailed down the sides of his head, pausing at the junction between his neck and his shoulder before cradling his jaw. Her icy blue eyes took him in, following the line of bright freckles dancing across his face and admiring the way his eyes nearly twinkled the longer he stared at her. His pupils were so blown, the bright blue color was barely visible. “I’m so lucky to have found you, you know.”

“Oh?” An airy chuckle escaped him as he slowly rolled off her, laying on his side and snaking his arms around her waist. He pulled her against him, bioelectricity tickling the bare skin of her back as a finger traced a soothing, hypnotizing circle against it. “I do believe that I am the lucky one here, yes? Considering that you fell in love with _me_...”

She snorted and he lit up. “God, you goof. You’re such a romantic, but listen, okay?” Her eyes met his and she took in a soft breath. “I almost didn’t come to Andromeda." A slight tug on her voice made her pause, clearing her throat. "I almost didn’t meet you. I can’t believe that I met you, of all people, honestly. I'm...”

A shaky sigh left her as her wide nose brushed against his flat one, her thumb ghosting across his high cheekbone. Eyes flickered down to glance at the mangled scar settled on the center of his chest, the memory of Akksul flashing through her mind. She swallowed thickly, her throat feeling full and tears pricking at the corner of her eyes as she met his gaze.

“I’m glad I didn’t kill myself.”

* * *

  
“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” A sharp crack snapped from the chair as her body roughly collided with it, jaw clenched and nostrils flared. Pain inched up her spine and her eyes slightly narrowed under his gaze, willing herself not to show even the most minute feeling. She could feel familiar eyes on her as she glared ahead, a deep breath in, out, _stay calm._ “This weapon.”

“It created life.” The deep, staccato rumble of his voice rumbled through the Hyperion's bridge, his hand slowly trailing over the center of the ship’s control console. “And yet, only I can see its full potential, of what it should be and what it can do.”

"And I?" A moment of silence fell upon the room before his lips curled in a disgusting snarl and he turned around, opal eyes meeting deep green ones before trailing over to brown ones. A bout of nausea rushed over her senses at the look flickering in his disgusting eyes, Dunn's body tensing beside her as she looked away and brown squeezed shut as he continued. “Only I have the means to achieve it."

“That is a blatant lie,” her armored boot scuffed the ground as she scoffed, leaving a dent behind. “You only have the means now because you _stole_ it from my daughter. And as soon as she gets here? She’s going to kick your ass." A grin flickered, cocky. "You're going to regret ever -”

“She’s dead.” The Archon curtly replied. His body oozed confidence as he took slow, winding steps towards her, his shoulders relaxed and a near sway in his gait as his hands idly gestured. “The Pathfinder is no more – I watched her body collapse and the life drain from her eyes through her implant on Khi Tisera. She will not disturb my plans any longer.”

“Wow. That’s _another_ lie, you dumbass! Are you pulling shit outta your ass?" Hands balled into tight fists, nails digging into umber skin as her voice broke and anger boiled her blood. "You’re just a washed up _nobody,_ someone pretending to be something and –”

“Enough!” A rough snap broke the tension in the air as he slammed his hands on her chair's armrests, their faces mere inches apart. Dunn's body almost swayed. Janelle didn't even flinch. He snarled, grip tightening on her forearms as his rotted breath fanned across her face. “You are just as _irritating_ , just as _infuriating_ as that stain on the galaxy is and you’re lucky that I need you for your implant.”

Her nostrils flared, her green eyes glaring daggers into his. A sneer, lips pressing shut as their gazes locked, challenging, until – Spit splattered across his face and a rough hand slapped her across her face. Her eyes narrowed as she glared up at him, her cheek stinging red as she watched him pull away and furiously wipe at his face, tense.

“I’m going to take Meridian.” Words started up softly, hands balling into angry fists before they collided with the controls. Sparks flew, shooting up as he paced away from it. A rough yell, a slight tug in his voice as it quickly rose into a near-frantic scream. “And then Heleus will surrender, or _burn_!”

“You’re going to do _nothing_.” Her voice sent a wash of irritation up his body, shoulders tensing. A vein popped in her neck, jaw clenching. “My baby girl is a _strong ass_ woman. It’ll take more than just a little, tiny shock to shake her, let alone kill her, and the moment she gets her hands on you? You’ll be a goddamn goner.”

His mouth fell open, the corner of his lips sharply curling in pure anger, before a notification popped up on the screen. Poison words paused before they could leave as he looked at the vast window ahead, brows furrowing at the sight. Remnant ship after Remnant ship scattered the view, filling the window until the Tempest took center stage and dread pooled in his body.

The holoscreen flickered on to reveal the woman in question washing across it as she bared her teeth, nostrils flared and a snarl settled on her freckled, umber face. Slight bruises dotted her cheeks, the mangled scar across her nose standing out under the harsh lights. Malice flickered like flames in her icy blue eyes, her body rigid as words gritted out through clenched teeth. “You motherfucker.”

“You continue to defy your vast, human limitations.” A rough sigh left him as he took a step closer, his arms folding over his chest. Curiosity quirked his brow as he slowly glanced her up and down, the slightest bit of confusion flickering in opal eyes, before he idly shrugged and simply shook his head. “Interesting, considering the fact that I watched you die back on Khi Tisera.”

“I didn’t die, dumbass.” Kylie bit out, venom tugging at the edges of her tone as it slowly rose. “And I’m ending this. Now. And you’re not just fighting _me._ You’re fighting _all_ of Heleus." Fingers racked up the tally. "You’re fighting Eos, Kadara, Voeld, Aya, Havarl, Elaaden – All of our people, Milky Way born _and_ Andromeda born, are banded together for one sole purpose, kicking your motherfucking –“

“That is a waste.” His curt voice interrupted her, opal eyes nonchalantly glancing down at jagged, broken nails. "What you are is -"

“Kylie! Oh, my God - My baby girl!” Panic pulled at her voice as Janelle called out, struggling to lean forward just to catch a glimpse of her daughter’s face. Even just the tiniest glimpse of her made her feel at ease, relief coursing through her veins as the girl leaned over to catch her gaze, eyes wide.  “Kylie, are you okay?! Is your baby –“

“Mom? Jesus Christ,” her voice broke, her confident stance falling, faltering. Icy blue eyes widened as her hands gripped the railing in front of her, tense, as her chest painfully squeezed. A tremor in her voice almost sent the woman over the edge. “I’m okay – We’re okay, holy shit. Are you –“

“This is a _waste_ of my time!” The Archon yelled, fists slamming against the controls' board. Static pulled at the hologram as lights flickered through the room, an alarm sounding and red pounding from across the walkway. He quickly silenced it, and his jaw tensed. Their gazes met and her eyes narrowed, her mouth clamping shut in a sneer. “I do not have the time for –“

“He’s going to exalt all of Heleus!” Janelle called out over his words, her eyes wide as she fervently shook her head. Words rushed out of her before she could help it, eyes narrowing and brows furrowing as they stumbled over each other. She needed to get out as much information as possible, as much as she could before he could stop her. “If we don’t submit, he’s going to destroy every planet, every person here and –“

“Yes, and _you’re_ proof that I can." A swift punch in the air just inches from her face interrupted her, his sharp finger pointing in her personal space. Their gazes locked, a snarl curling her lips and teeth bared, before he turned away and met the raven's intense stare. "You can still command Remnant, but I detect that it is a danger to your nervous system. The true power lies in Sam and the implant, in which I have _both_.”

Flames flickered in the back of her eyes, anger racing up her spine. “You have jackshit. If you touch her, one more fucking time -“

“I no longer need you, Pathfinder. But since you _insist_ on interfering with my destiny,” the tone of his voice sent a shiver right up her spine, disgust sparking after it and nearly consuming her. His eyes narrowed, head tilting down as his opal eyes bore into hers. “I’ll give you my _full_ attention.”

Her icy eyes widened as she watched a hatch atop the Hyperion rise, ship after ship soaring out from its holder and heading right towards the Tempest. Guns warmed up, beating a hot red and orange glow before she sharply looked over at the salarian, panic overtaking her and her voice cracking – “Move, now!”

Fingers furiously tapped at the controls as the ship swerved from one side to the other, avoiding the wave of firing lasers as they flew through empty space. “That’s more than we thought!” The fear is Suvi’s voice was hard to miss, her eyes wide and her breath caught as she slammed her hand on one of the buttons.

“We’ve got this, okay?” The iron-like grip on the railing tightened further, knuckles bulging and blue eyes wide as she watched dark space lurch and twist around their ship. Ships whirred, dodging one hot shot after the other as mass hysteria flooded in through their comms and her heart skipped, dread catching her senses.

 _“We’re flanked, all sides!”_ A man’s voice chimed in, fear. She bit her bottom lip, eyes snapping down to glare at her boots. Another pilot came in right after, his breathing heavy and his words stumbling as tapping sounded in the background, inching behind his scared words. _“We - We need cover, hug the Remnant!”_

Silence fell over them. The spark of an idea hitting her brain made her eyes widen and her brows furrow as she looked over, catching the redhead’s gaze as her mouth fell open. _“Motherless, it’s like skirting Aya!”_ Her head snapped over to the salarian at the woman's voice, his dark eyes wide and jaw slack before they narrowed and a breath left him.

“Rock and a hard place, Ryder!” Kallo’s head fervently shook as his words came out in a rush, his brows furrowing as hands quickened on the controls. The Tempest trembled, a strange hum skirting below the floor and through their feet, making her heart skip and falter. "I don’t know which is worse – The Scourge or the kett?!”

“The Scourge or the kett…” Words gradually trailed off as her gaze lowered to the galaxy map in front of her, a hand sliding off of the railing in thought. "Scourge..." Her icy blue eyes searched the vast emptiness for something, _anything_ , mumbling under her breath as her eyes slowly narrowed, watching a shuttle fly behind a Remnant ship before –

“Scourge, holy shit - Kallo!” Her yell made him jump. “How close can you edge the Scourge?”

“Too close?” His voice cracked. “Why?”

“We’re ‘boutta use the cluster’s biggest headache to our goddamn advantage.” She took in a quick breath, a smirk curling her lips as a rush of energy ran through her and determination set in her eyes. “Get us in close.” Their gazes met before a slow, hesitant grin tugged at his lips and he nodded. A quick breath, in then out, before he returned his attention to the controls, eyes searching the buttons. He steadied himself and nodded, again, confident fingers getting to work and his breath catching. 

The vast, winding tendrils of the Scourge filled the window in front of her as their ship edged closer and closer, following a quick-moving line of the glowing, ever-lasting dark matter. Kett ships whirred and followed their hot trail, sparks igniting before some erupted into a bright display of flames behind them as the Scourge collided with their ships.

Kallo’s eyes slowly widened before his happy, haughty laughter filled and echoed through the bridge. His gaze caught Suvi’s as she grinned, his chuckle contagious and she sparked into her own giggling, her head shaking.

 _“I’ve never been so glad to see that stuff!”_ An angaran voice filled their comms and she snorted, taking a step back and bumping into a figure just behind her. Hands encircled her waist to lay over her stomach and her hands came down to rest over his, a soft sigh leaving her. Jaal leaned down and kissed the top of her head, beaming with pride. “We’re doing good, my love.”

“I know,” a cheeky grin danced across her face as she glanced over at the redhead. “Get the Hyperion.”

The familiar, disgusting face of the Archon filled her holoscreen and she snarled, lip upcurled. “Archon,” a shit-eating smirk tugged at the edges of her full lips, the slightest flash of her teeth as her icy gaze darkened. “Don’t blame your people for this, okay? This hot fucking mess? This huge-ass clusterfuck? It’s all on you, baby.”

“And I’m not playing your games anymore, jackass. I'm done. I'm completely and utterly done with you and your bullshit." A tell-tale sign of irritation, annoyance, sparked in his opal eyes as she continued and she felt _good,_ damn good. "This is it – I’m ending your rank ass, once and for all.”

Heavy, labored breathing gradually filled the static of their comms and the grip on her waist tightened. A strange look flashed in the angara's bright eyes as the kett spoke up, his bioelectricity skipping against her skin before it intensified and static ran through her body. “You wish to force my hand?” His opal eyes narrowed, hands balling into fists and nostrils flaring. “So be it.”

A small, strange kett-machinery hummed to life and fluttered in the air beside him as he turned away, his shoulders tense and his fists balling and unballing. “Unlike you and the Pathfinder,” his attention turned to the woman behind him and the girl’s heart nearly stopped, jaw falling slack and fear gripped her body. “I do not require an implant. I have yours.”

Red flashed as the machine screeched to life and connected to the implant within Janelle’s head. Her blood-curdling scream echoed through the room and Kylie’s eyes shot wide open, her grip tightening tenfold on the railing in front of her and breaking one of her nails in half. Blood trickled the edges of her fingertip as the woman's green eyes rolled back. “Mom!”

“You’ve made this _much_ more difficult, Pathfinder.” A glance over his shoulder showed off the sneer on his face. “But not for me.”

“I’m going to fucking kill you!” Her words spilled out of her, rushing like water, before she could help it, lips trembling as venom spiked the edges of her tone. Jaal's hands grasped her, trying to pull her back, before she clawed her way free and ran towards the hologram. “When I get my hands on you, I’ll fucking rip your throat out with my bare hands and force it down your own fucking mouth before I rip out your insides, one by one!”

“My love –“

"I'm so fucking _sick_  and tired of your fucking ass!" Hands gestured violently, sharply, her body trembling with each harsh movement as her heart convulsed in her chest. “Everyone's fucking tired! You’re gonna wish you were fucking dead when I fucking skin you alive, slash your body, and let you slowly _fucking_ bleed out, you _motherfucker_!”

“Kylie –“

Her mother's screams drowned out and muddied her senses before the connection skidded to a halt and sharply died down, static buzzing and crackling in its wake. Silence fell across the bridge, the air heavy and sullen, sending scattered tingles up her spine before numbness took over her in one swift rush. She broke, her face contorting in grief. “Mom –“

Arms encircled her and pulled her against him as she turned around, completely losing her quickly-fading composure. Tears gave way to anger and her nails roughly dug into his back, a shaky breath leaving her as she pulled away from him. She wiped at her face, swallowing thickly as her sad voice started. “We’re moving. _Now_.”

“My love –“

“Now,” the poison in her jagged voice sent a shiver right up his spine. “Kallo!”

"On it!" The Tempest whirred, almost creaking, as it jumped to FTL drive and they warped through deep space. Her hands pressed against her temples as she watched the pockets of darkness fly by, her breathing heavy before dark brows furrowed and she roughly pushed away from the railing. "I'm going to -"

A sharp turn as they jumped through a blinding, bright light sent her flying against the angaran man behind her, his body bouncing against hers and pushing her forward. She slammed against the metal railing with a loud grunt, white blinding her as her hands grasped the bars for purchase and he grabbed the empty spaces beside hers, locking her in and keeping her safe.

Icy blue eyes widened as they took in the slowly fading aura from the window, her mouth falling open as a soft gasp came from the man behind her. Bright white gave way to the window, gradually fading down as it slowly revealed the vast, winding horizon looming all around them in an endless circle. “Suvi?” Her voice hesitated, cracked. “Just what am I looking at?”

Suvi’s voice fell soft, quiet, as her eyes took it all in. “A wonder.”

Pockets of endless mountains surrounded the lush, endlessly green landscape in an entirely impossible circle, the only view of space a mere pocket from where their ship jumped through. Waterfalls and oceans peppered the outskirts of endless forests, rock formation after rock formation giving way to Remnant architecture making her feel sick.

The low whirr of their engines shutting off sounded, groaning and shuddering through their ship. Their bodies tensed and froze before they lurched back and the salarian sputtered. “Sorry!” His voice stuttered out as his legs pressed under the railing along his seat to still himself, hands desperate on the controls as he searched for the problem. “Gravity’s - Gravity's inverted here.”

She winced as the engines kicked back on and their ship spun in an entire, nauseating wave before the gravitational pull yanked them back into proper place. “Can’t see the Hyperion,” the redhead started beside her quietly, brows furrowing as she worried her bottom lip. “Extrapolating from last known position.”

“It wasn’t built for landing, Ryder – We’ll beat it there, you know.” Kallo quickly added in, his brows furrowing as he spared a glance over at the raven, irritation flickering in her angry eyes. “Like it or not.”

“Wherever that jackass goes,” her words gritted out through clenched, tense teeth as she turned, walking down the bridge as the angaran fell into step with her. Her hand laced with his, tightly squeezing it as she swallowed thickly and her stomach flipped anxiously. “That’s where we’re heading.”

* * *

 _  
“Hot drop in five,”_ Gil's voice sent a wave of nausea rushing through her body as icy eyes met chocolate ones, the dark lighting of the vehicle bathing them in rich shadows. _“Four,”_ they trailed over to the icy blue ones behind her, familiar, and her stomach dropped. A shared nod.  _“Three.”_  Her chest fell with a soft breath as eyes met deep-set ones, a glare and a grin flickering in them, as he gave her a thumbs up. _“Two…”_

Bright blue eyes met icy blue ones and the grip on their intertwined hands tightened, a soft kiss pressed against the top of her's sending warmth coursing through her. She was ready.  _“Go!”_

The Nomad lurched as it sharply ejected from the Tempest, her mind spinning as her fingers deftly worked the navigation to get it under control. A hard landing sent them spiraling in a circle, her eyes rolling as she slammed on the brakes and the vehicle screeched to a sudden, hard stop. Disbelief coursed through her veins as she pressed the button to lift up the door, her hands fumbling with her seatbelt before it gave way and she stood up, taking in the beauty that was… Meridian.

“Holy shit,” she said, breathless. Her eyes trailed from one waterfall to the other, the green overwhelming her senses. Remnant Architects flew across the horizon, acting like birds as they followed a path, one after the other. A hand touched her back and she glanced over to find her brother staring at her in awe, the happiest smile on his face. “This place is… Beyond fucking beautiful, Jay. I don’t know how to feel.”

“I know, I –“

 _“Pathfinder.”_ A snarl snapped across her face at the kett's voice flitting in through their comms and she sat back down, steel-grip on the railing before willing herself to hook her seatbelt and work the controls. _“I’ve arranged a ‘distraction’ while I find Meridian’s controls.”_ Her eyes glanced up to catch four kett ships inbound ahead, her eyes widening as they flew right towards them.

“Hang on, guys!” Her voice called out as her foot slammed on the gas and the Nomad jolted. It revved, once, twice, before taking off in a quick haste, leaving behind a trail of thick, white smoke as it rushed over the rocky, bumpy terrain, her voice wavering. "We've gotta lose them!"

 _“Kylie,”_ the panic is Suvi’s voice was enough to make her skin crawl, her words rushing out and stumbling over each other. _“It’s nav-dead, that’s why we lost it! It’s on maneuvering thrusters only!”_

"Oh, my God." A scoff escaped her, eyes catching irritated ones through her rear-view mirror before her gaze quickly focused ahead. A hand tensed on her lap and the angara's nostrils flared, anger coursing through her veins. “This jackass is betting we won’t chase him with the ark at risk, isn't he?”

 _“We’ll guard the Hyperion, Ryder.”_ The familiar twang of a turian voice nearly made her pause, relief rushing through her. Her brows furrowed before they snapped up and she grinned as a shuttle came into view, an armored turian waving at her through its open doors, before it hissed shut and took off. “Kandros? Oh, holy shit." Utter relief. "Goddamn – Who’s with you?”

 _“You’ll never guess.”_ His richly accented voice nearly made her tear up, gratitude making her feel numb. _“I took it as an open invitation for me, of course – Figured you’d need a little bit of Kadaran help, after all. I mean, I am a part of this family, yes?”_

“You little shit, Reyes. Of course you are, dummy.” She could feel his trademark smirk through their comms, a grin on her face.

_"I thought I was Mr. Smooth?”_

“Shut up.”

Another voice chimed in and her heart skipped. A slight twitch of urgency in Evfra’s voice sent a shiver right up her spine, determination settling deep inside of her. They're here to help. She can't believe it. A hand squeezed her leg and she swallowed thickly.  _“We’ll hold the kett while you secure Meridian!”_

The Nomad came barreling quickly towards the end of a cliff's sharp drop and she took in a deep breath, the hand tapping her lap and causing her to glance over. Her eyes met the bright blue ones of Jaal’s, the sweetest look dancing in his bright blue eyes as he warmly smiled at her. She felt overwhelmed. “I’m proud of you, my love.”

Tears pricked the corners of her icy blue eyes and the smile she gave him made him feel weak. “Let’s do it, Jellybean.” She took in a deep breath as she looked forward, slamming the gas pedal down to the floor as their vehicle barreled over the edge of the cliff and she pulled the accelerator. “Let’s get this motherfucker and finish this! Once and for all.”

A rush of anxiety coursed through her veins and her stomach lurched as the krogan behind her loudly cheered, their vehicle soaring through the air. The whirr of shuttle after shuttle flying above them as they landed was enough to send her brain spiraling, her mind overwhelmed as her stomach flipped. _“Pathfinder,”_ Dunn’s panicked, scared voice almost made her pause, fingers trembling before continuing. _“They’ve - He's taken them.”_

“Taken? Taken who? Who’s been taken?” Kylie’s dark brows sharply furrowed, a soft breath leaving her as her eyes shot wide open and hyper-focused ahead. “Captain Dunn, what’s going on?”

Tears broke her words, her voice trembling. _“The core is lit up like Christmas back on Earth, but Sam isn’t talking anymore. At all. I think that the Archon – Shit, I don’t know what he did, okay? I - I have no idea what's going on right now, Ryder."_  A shuddering breath escaped her, swallowing thickly. _"He - He has Janelle. He took her a few minutes ago.”_

Icy blue eyes snapped to view the same pair through the rear-view mirror, a flame of anger spiking through his eyes and dread gripped at her heart. Her nostrils flared and she pressed her lips together, eyes narrowing.  _“Whatever Meridian can do…”_ A pause, another breath as her words became more and more panicked as the thought crossed her mind. _“He’ll try to take it.”_

“I won’t fucking let him, Dunn! Please -” A hand landed on her shoulder, her nostrils flaring and a shiver rushing through her spine. She glanced over, catching the sight of a familiar umber hand resting there, and she let out a shaky breath, fervently shaking her head before she pressed her lips together. “No - I’m okay, Jay.”

“Breathe," his hand squeezed her and she swallowed thickly, nodding her head. "Okay?”

“I know.”

 _“Hard starboard, all power!”_ Fear heavily tugged at the woman's voice through their comms and another rush ran up her spine. She looked over at the angaran man beside her, eyes wide, before looking back ahead and biting her bottom lip. Her hand slammed on the wheel, her foot pressing the gas pedal to the ground.  _"Get out of here, now! Leave me here and save yourself!"_

“Holy shit! That didn’t sound good,” Liam shuddered, chocolate eyes narrowed as they caught the sight of the man’s beside him. His hand tightened on his, brows shooting up. "Sounds like she's on her last stand, doesn't it?"

“Goddamnit - Move it, Nomad!” Her free foot stomped on the ground, irritation dancing through her as she slammed down on the gas over and over. Urgency pulled at her voice as the vehicle uselessly revved, her heart skipping. “Captain Dunn, I swear to fucking God – If you do anything _drastic_ , if you do something to yourself, I’ll fucking kill –“

Angry words came to a sudden, harsh stop as the sight of a foreign ship slowly filled the horizon. Her breath caught in her chest as they rushed towards it, her brows slowly furrowing as her jaw dropped. “That…” Her voice didn’t want to work, a squeak. “That doesn’t look like the Hyperion, you guys.”

 _“Kett are deploying to defend the Archon!"_ Kandros voice flickered in through the strange, harsh static of their comms, voices overlapping before his chimed through. _“Get in close!”_

Liam tapped her shoulder, pointing ahead with a grin. “He’s lost it.”

 _"He’s right,”_ Kallo chirped in, a quick breath escaping him. His voice glitched, words repeating and breaking before sharply trailing off. Her heart skipped a useless beat.  _“Mix with their ground troops – The big ship can’t fire on you, then!”_

Static hissed, slowly growing louder and louder until it consumed their comms entirely, a sense of dread slowly pooling in her stomach as her brows furrowed. "Tempest?" She tapped the comms system on the screen, a scoff escaping her as she tapped it again and again. Nothing happened, confusion quirking a brow. She scoffed. "Tempest, can you -"

An explosion erupted beside their vehicle, jostling the Nomad. Gasps scattered through the air, bodies tensing. The navigation flickered out of control, her eyes widening as she furiously tapped at them, only for the vehicle to teeter. One side to the other, rocking back and forth, back and forth, before another flash of an explosion went off right beside them and sent them rolling.

Red lights flickered, warnings covering and consuming the screen as a tire popped out and alarms boomed through the enclosed space. Her eyes widened, fear gripping her chest as she reached for purchase on her seat, frantically moving to unclasp her seat belt. She reached to help the angara out of his, the harsh landings of the vehicle splashing them around. Panic swarmed as he tried to call out and reach for her, only for the alarms to drown out his voice and his body to fall away from hers.

A horribly shaky hand barely managed to slam on the emergency eject control before the doors hissed open, their bodies sharply flying out of the vehicle as it hurtled forward and crashed over a boulder. Screams ripped through her as her vision swam, her body rolling over jagged rocks and bumpy terrain. Each jump jostled her head before she slammed against a tree with a loud _crack_  and her body fell limp.

Bright, painful lights flickered at the edges of her hazy vision as her ears rang, her brain muddled as a familiar voice echoed through the static.  _"Janelle!"_  Familiar. Foreign. No, familiar. How? The familiarity tickled at her thoughts, struggling to put a tired finger on its origin. Sam? Is that Sam? No, it's not Sam - A bright explosion of orange and red flashed nearby, pieces of the Nomad flying through the air and scattering around their bodies.

 _"Baby girl, you need to get up."_ A tug on her muted implant sent her senses flying. Blobs of darkness slowly took over, splotching and covering her vision, until her body started to give in and the voice consumed her. The realization hit her just before her senses faded and blurred, voice breaking and fading as she tried to call out.  _"Janelle, get your ass up!"_

 "Alec?"


	32. flare

_“You need to get up, baby girl.”_ Chills ran down her spine, her body fighting against the slow fall from consciousness as hands reached for purchase on something, _anything_ , only to find nothing. A slight touch to her head pulled away with blood, dripping down her fingers and staining them a deep red. Her voice broke with a wretched gasp. “Oh, my God –“

 _“I know it looks bad, but I promise it’s not.”_ His voice flickered in and out, just on the brink of her hearing, softly, gently muted. _“It’s from your implant – Kinda jostled from your bumpy ride, but nothing that’s putting you in any immediate danger. I promise. I can’t physically be there to help you, but I sure as hell can motivate your ass to move. Up, now.”_

A tug, a yank, a pull - Her head _ached_ with every word that he spoke. The slightest movement sent nausea washing through her like a wave, a sharp, piercing pain behind her eyes making her surroundings spin and her body to fall numbly limp back, disappearing in the tall grass filling the field around them. Static pinched at the edges of her mind and it _hurt_.

Smoke pooled around her like a heavy fog, the smell of burning metal horrid and putrid, staining the absurdly clean air of Meridian. Her eyes squeezed shut as she swallowed back a cough, weakly fanning the black smoke out of her face as her eyes harshly blinked open and she glanced around. 

Her comms’ static gradually filled her senses, overloading and overwhelming her as icy blue eyes slowly took in the darkness. She could barely see – The faint outline of rubble ahead peeked through the thick darkness, small bursts of shrubs and plants shuffled into slight view by a sudden breeze. She shivered, a sharp breath leaving her as cold inched down her spine and her body started to tremble.

 _“Baby girl,”_ his voice actually, physically, hurt. She recoiled, a balled-up fist pressing against the side of her head as she groaned and stars flickered through her vision. Her Sam implant felt wrong, off – “ _Remember how you never wanted to wake up in the morning for school, so I’d pour ice-cold water on you? I want you to imagine that. Think of the cold rushing through your body and jolting you awake.”_

The familiar tone of his voice finally, truly registered in her hazy, confused brain and her icy eyes shot wide open, a sharp rush of a realization sending a harsh wave of goosebumps skimming down her back. She quickly pushed herself up, her head swimming from moving too fast, and her brain raced with thoughts, her voice hesitating. “Alec?”

_“Dad, not Alec.”_

She felt sick. Her stomach churned, twisted, flipped. This cannot be real – He is dead. He is definitely dead and not alive and not here and gone and dead, but yet he is here and _what the fuck is even going on, am I dying? Am I dead? Am I in hell and this is some weird-ass purgatory punishment shit and, and_ \- Words did not want to leave her. “T-That’s not possible, you’re not – I... You... You - You’re dead.”

_“That’s what they always say.”_

“I watched you _die_! Back on Habitat Seven -” Her voice cracked, pain piercing her brain. She gagged, fingers roughly digging into her twin braids as her voice grew down to a soft whimper, icy eyes wide in pure shock as she slightly rocked. “I watched - I watched you die, I - I watched you die -”

 _“Okay, I’ll be fair – Yes, I died. I know that I died, alright?"_  A sob bubbled in her chest and she swallowed it down. _"I definitely realized that when I was suffocating to death. Now isn’t a good time for us to get into this, Janelle. I’ll explain it later, okay? You need to get moving - You don’t have any more time left and your mother –“_

“I’m not Janelle!” She yelled, a break interrupting her words and her hoarse voice cracking. “Alec,” her voice trembled, thoughts falling back into place as she tried to form coherent sentences. She could not stop shaking. “I watched you _die._ Back on Habitat Seven. You – You don’t just come back from being _dead_ , Alec. That’s fucking impossible, I – I…”

 _“Goddamnit, Jane - Kylie!_ _Always just as fucking stubborn as your old man,”_ the anger in his voice felt all too familiar, her heart skipping a frantic beat as the same sense of fear she got when he raised his voice threatened to grab her. _“Sam revived me, okay?”_

Hands grabbed her before she could process his words, before she could say anything else, pulling her through the fog and stabilizing her as icy eyes met twin ones and her heart stopped, her breath hitching. The worry in James’ eyes sent a shiver up her spine and her lip quivered. “Are you okay, Kay? I heard you -”

“Do you hear him?” Kylie whispered, eyes frantic and wide as they searched his. He slowly shook his head and her stomach dropped, dread pooling at her feet. The look dancing in his eyes made her feel off, weird, strange, like something was wrong with her. Her hands trembled. “You – You don’t hear him? Not even in the least bit?”

 _“James’ connection with Sam wasn’t as advanced as ours –"_  A pause, a moment as he cleared his throat. _"Yours is.”_

Hands balled into fists at her sides, her head sharply glancing to the side as her brows furrowed and her nostrils flared. “I transferred the authority to him, Alec!" Her voice rose, her brain barely registering the people surrounding her as her head quickly shook and her words stumbled over each other. "Pathfinder authority started to transfer to him when I died back on Khi Tisera!”

“Kylie, my darling one,” his soothing voice broke her from her panicked trance, tears splotching and blurring her vision as arms wrapped around her. She shook her head, again, her chest heaving as she desperately blinked the tears away and the slight bit of fear in his voice made her want to curl up in a ball. “You took the brunt of the damage, I believe, from our crash. Perhaps your implant is messing with your head, and –”

“It’s not – It’s not 'messing with my head'!” Her voice wavered as she sharply gestured air quotes at him, her jaw tensing as she stared at him in pure disbelief. It hurt, the look in his eyes - It hurt and she did not know what to do. “It’s – It’s, it’s… I – I can hear _him_ ,” she pushed him away in favor of grabbing her brother’s shoulders, shaking her head. “Please, you have to believe me. I can hear Alec, Jay.” Their eyes met and her breath caught. “Dad.”

A rush of air left him. “What?”

Liam fervently shook his head as he stepped forward and placed his hands over hers, squeezing them. “Lala, are you, for real, okay?” His touch made her jump, her eyes widening as she looked over at him. The fear in her eyes almost made him hesitate. “It seems like you keep getting the shit-end of everything lately and it’s worrying the fuck outta me.”

“I – I don’t know what’s going on, Lola. I don’t,” she could not stop shaking, a tremor low in her body as the tell-tale feeling of a panic attack threatened to take control of her. Her voice cracked, tears itching her eyes. “I don’t know, I don't know if I'm going insane and… And I –“

 _“If you would hurry your asses up and get into that damn Remnant monolith already, you’ll find me in there and realize you're not going fucking insane.”_ Her body tensed, shoulders hiking up as she looked to the side with wide eyes. _“This entire time you've wasted by laying around and crying over useless shit, I’ve been working my ass off, trying to help your mother out through Sam’s connection to her – She doesn’t have much longer left, kid.”_

Anxiety shot through her like a wave and she felt nauseous, urgency gripping at her and making her want to claw her skin off. “We - We have to move!” Kylie’s body pulled away from his and she took a stumbling step forward, only for strong arms to wrap around her body and keep her in place. Eyes squeezed shut, irritation taking ahold of her as the krogan spoke up and a tear rolled down her face. “Ru'shan, we can’t run the whole goddamn way there -”

“We – We have to do something!" She yelled as she fought against him, hands wiping at her eyes. "We, we –“

The loud whirr of a shuttle above drowned out her frantic voice, the ship over their heads slowly descending until it carefully landed in front of them. Hydraulics hissed as doors parted to reveal a familiar turian and a tawny man settled beside each other, a grin on the man's face. “Need some help, hermana?” Reyes called down as he let go of the above-head handrail and made his way down the ramp, his voice nearly muted by the loud hum of the engine behind him.

Kylie almost cried.

Footsteps stumbled over one another as they made their way onto the shuttle, her teary eyes meeting honeyed ones. His hand grabbed hers, softly squeezing it as her heart followed suit, and he pressed his forehead to hers as his free hand clasped her back. She teared up, pressing her lips together as her eyes searched his. “Family doesn’t leave family behind, yes? No matter how crazy.”

A shaky breath left her, icy blue eyes falling shut. She numbly nodded, gratitude threatening to swallow her. “Yeah.”

“Comms are down, but it’s nothing that we can’t handle.” Kandros slowly started, leaning over the pilot’s controls as his mandibles slightly shifted in thought. He paused, shoulders tensing, as he quickly looked over his shoulder, catching the minute terror dancing in her icy blue eyes. “You good, Ryder?”

“I’m fine - I’m good,” she answered almost too quickly, shaking her head and letting out a sharp breath as she relaxed back down onto one of the seats. A hand came to rest on her thigh and she glanced over, catching the sight of the angara as he sat down beside her, a frown on his face. The worry in his eyes made her heart feel heavy in the worst way, a soft breath leaving her. “I’m okay, babe.”

“Are you sure that you are? It’s not every day that I catch you in a mid-mental breakdown, my love.” The softest sigh escaped Jaal as he scooted closer to her, their ankles crossing and hooking. “And I know you aren’t one to just ‘see’ or ‘hear’ things - You know that you can tell me anything and I will listen.” She swallowed thickly as his free hand ghosted down the back of her head, catching the sticky blood and pausing. His eyes widened, hand tensing. “Is this –“

“It’s fine, like me.” Her hand caught his, bringing it over her head and back to her lap as she smudged the blood into his glove and fervently shook her head. “I’m okay, baby." A pause, his eyes narrowing. She swallowed thickly. "Jaal.”

“Hey, Kay,” a finger tapped her shoulder and she looked over, icy eyes meeting twin ones to her other side and a soft, shaky breath left her. His hand gently grasped hers, thumb ghosting over the back of her hand, lingering over the rips on her glove. “What were you goin’ on about back down there, somethin’ about Dad and hearing him?”

“I could hear him, Jay. I could hear Alec talking,” her jaw tensed as she glanced around the shuttle, all eyes on her as her voice trembled and she turned to face him. Hands caught his, her nostrils flaring and her lip quivering, voice wavering as it grew serious, curt. “I could hear him talking as clear as fucking day in my head. I - I felt like I was going insane.”

 _“You’re not going insane, baby girl. I'm alive.”_ She hesitated, the grip on his hands tightening as her eyes flickered around the room to catch if anyone else had heard that, only for them to stare in silence. A sharp breath left her as his grip suddenly tightened even more on her hands and worry flickered in his bright eyes, dark brows slowly furrowing. “Kay…”

“Okay,” his words _hurt_ - The look in his eyes hurt, disbelief mixing with worry, enough to make her want to gag. Her hands ripped away from his, flexing before balling into fists and roughly landing on her lap as malice bit at her tone. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore if you’re not gonna fucking believe me. I know I’m mentally-fucking-ill, but I don’t fucking ‘hear’ things that aren’t there and you know that.”

“Kay –“

“Who could you hear?” Reyes interrupted them mid-argument, cutting through the tension between them as his hand grasped the overhead railings and he swung his way over to them. Her eyes flickered up to catch his whiskey gaze as he stood in front of her, a slight flash of relief in her eyes as he smiled a lop-sided grin at her. She swallowed thickly, pushing down her rush of emotions.

“Our – Our dad, Alec.” She shook her head. “Listen, Reyes, I seriously don’t –”

A sharp bang ahead caught them off-guard, the armored turian emerging from the cockpit as the doors hissed open and eyes snapped over to look at him. “Doesn’t matter now, we’re approaching our dead drop.” Green, beady eyes flickered from one being to the other, hesitating a moment too long on the woman. “Everyone good for a hard landing?”

“I’m good,” Kylie nodded her head, squaring her shoulders. The tell-tale feeling of eyes watching her sent her skin crawling as she glanced over, meeting the krogan’s deep-set eyes as he huffed and shook his head. “Like hell you fuckin’ are,” he glared at her, brows furrowing. “You need to be fuckin’ careful, okay?” Eyes flickered over to Kandros. “Any way we can make it a not-hard drop for –“

“Here I thought you’d be the first person to cheer me, a pregnant _and_ injured woman, on to jump out of a high-ass shuttle.” Her foot reached out to tap his, nudging it. He scoffed, his eyes softening the longer he stared at her as a strange feeling slowly pulled at his hearts. “Usually I would be, if you weren’t goddamn pregnant.”

“Are you being serious right now?!” She kicked his armored boot, her eyes narrowing as her thick brows sharply furrowed. The look she gave him almost hurt, her eyes wide and words spilling out of her before she could even think twice. “It’s not like I’m _endangering_ my kids on fucking purpose, Dad! This whole thing is such a fucking -”

 _“Dad? Are you kidding me?”_ Alec’s voice echoing in her head sent a pang of guilt piercing through her heart. Hurt laced in with his tone, a feeling she did not want to think about pulling at the edges of it. _"Why do you call him 'Dad' and I’m just Alec? Not like you’re actually my literaly kid or anything, huh?”_

The way he said it, as if she should feel _grateful_ for him, made her feel _pissed,_ anger biting her heart and making her blood boil. She slammed her fist into the metal wall, her hand bouncing off of it as the angara grasped her hand and she swallowed back a sudden rush of tears threatening to come out. “Shut up, Alec! I'm so fucking tired -”

“God,” James scoff interrupted her, “this is worse than when you usually argue with Sam.”

Something struck her, pulled at her heartstrings in the worst way, at those words – Her heart sharply fell, a harsh realization settling deep inside of her as her body slowly relaxed back, hands falling to her lap, and a drawn-out, soft breath left her. Her lips pressed together, ignoring the full feeling in the back of her throat as she blinked away the tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

She missed Sam.

Nails raked through her tightly-braided hair, catching on loose baby hairs and making the knot in her throat worse. Her body shot up as her jaw tensed and she cleared her throat. “Let’s go,” she said, voice cracking as she grasped the railing above and passed by the tawny man, their shoulders brushing. “They need us down there.”

“This should put us directly in front of the monolith,” the turian said as he made his way over to her side, their bodies jostling as the shuttle inched closer to the drop. “We’ll take over as soon as you hit the ground and cover you while you run for the entrance, got it?”

“Yeah.” She took in a quick breath as the angara took up his spot behind her, a hand meeting her lower back. His bioelectricity spiked ever-so-slightly, sending a surge of reassurance coursing through her veins and she nodded. Her eyes met his and she smiled, her heart skipping a beat at his. “Got it.”

 _One, two, three_ – Air whipped around them as they jumped through the shuttle’s open doors, her breath leaving her in a sharp gasp as her jump-jet kicked on. Her gut churned as her body fell closer, closer, to the ground, landing with a rough grunt. She rolled forward, tucking her head before she landed on her ass and shot up to her feet, chest heaving as she bolted across the battlefield.

With each shot that whirred past her, her mind hyper-focused on the massive doors ahead. She barely had enough time to even briefly register just how beautiful this place is – The towering, tall, white monoliths stationed on all four corners of the entrance made her feel dizzy if she glanced up. Vast, green plants and colorful flowers sprouted up and covered the ground in bunches, only broken by rubble and large boulders scattered throughout.

Gunshots fired, dancing around her as the others fell into their proper positions next to her. “Go!” Kandros’ called out behind them as he rolled into cover, his gun coming to life as he took out one kett after the other.

A moment of hesitation bit at the tawny man as he watched the aliens fall, his heart torn and flipping between staying behind to help out and going after her – “Go get them, Reyes.” The turian bopped his shoulder against his, nodding towards the slowly disappearing group. His whiskey eyes watched them as something pulled in his chest. “You belong with ‘em.”

“I know,” Reyes could not help but to grin, excitement rushing through his veins as he nodded his head and propelled his body over their make-shift cover. He took in a quick breath, steadying himself, and ran after them, his breathing coming out loud, fast, and steady with each step. Shots missed him by just inches, his heart hammering in his chest.  

Dirt and sand slowly gave way to technology-laced, tiled grounds, an eerie glow emitted from lines running beneath metal and sending anticipation inching up her spine. A hand met her back as the group approached the towering, imminent doors leading into the monolith, her heart nearly stopping in her chest.

A gasp left her as her body almost froze, slightly tensed, and she glanced back, catching the sight of an all-too-tired man looking down at her with his signature, lop-sided grin. A happy smile danced across her face, her hand meeting his as she pulled him along with her. “You didn’t wanna miss out on all of the fun, huh? I see how it is.”

His haughty laugh made her feel _so_ relieved. “I wouldn’t be your Mr. Smooth if I had.”

She rolled her eyes. Her omnitool flickered on as they came to a stop in front of the endless doors, the orange glow harsh against the shadowed area, and she took in a soft breath to steady herself. Fingers got to work, anxiety slowly bubbling in her veins as she stumbled over a particularly rough hack, but it took. The doors slowly creaked open and –

A loud, harsh whirr behind them made her tense. Kylie gripped her gun, her eyes wide as she looked back and watched as kett ship after kett ship swarmed their location. Their ship’s guns slowly revved to life, the light harsh and mean as the lights trailed to aim over them and her stomach flipped, fear gripping her as she yelled out. “Get into cover!”

One erupted as they bolted behind the raised platforms scattered along the entrance, shots firing down on them until the ship exploded in a brilliant light-show and a shuttle crashed right into the center of the other two ships. Another closely followed, the doors hissing open to reveal a familiar salarian and one of her favorite angaran women standing there with triumphant grins on their faces.

Her heart skipped.

Pathfinder Hayjer winked, taking in a steadying breath as he returned his focus to his biotics while Moshae Sjefa waved down at her. Jaal stood, their hands interlacing as he brought her up with him and waved their intertwined hands back at the woman. She smiled down at them, bright eyes lighting up at the sight, and her heart felt heavy in her chest.

Static flickered in her comms, catching her attention before a voice above, familiar and sweet, called out as her omnitool briskly faded and the comms connection dropped, the angara's loud and clear. “Move inside, Ryder! We’ll hold the line out here, keep them off the Hyperion. You take this to the Archon and tell him where the angara want him to shove it!”

"Moshae Sjefa is as charming as ever, isn't she?" Jaal softly chuckled, shaking his head as he kissed the top of her glove, right over where her bruised knuckles. “It is as though a fire has been lit under her after our excursion to rescue her back on Voeld, all those months ago.”

“She probably got that fire under her ass from me," the raven rolled her eyes, squeezing his hand. "I love her to death, though."

"Oh," his chuckle grew into a haughty laugh, joy lighting up his bright features and making her heart skip. “There is no doubt about that. I do believe that she loves you, too. She always has quite a few questions to ask about you whenever I speak with her, and it seems as though she holds you in very high regards, my love.”

"Aww!" Kylie grinned before she cupped her hands over her mouth, taking in a deep breath and calling out with as much gusto as she could possibly muster. “You know I fucking will, Moshae! And you know where I’m gonna tell him where to shove it?”

“Up his _arse_!” Her voice called down and scattered cheers followed by whoops came from inside of the shuttle. It revved before it took off in a rush, leaving a trail of white smoke dancing behind them as they left. She looked over at the angara, the happiest smile on his face, before she squeezed his arm and nodded at the monolith. “Ready?”

“With you?” He reached for her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Her heart skipped, his bioelectricity strong. “Always.”

* * *

  
The first step inside made her feel sick, dread interlocking through her legs and holding her tight. The second step inside made her feel weak, a familiar, foreboding feeling grasping her chest, and the third step inside nearly sent her falling to her knees, her brain barely registering the sight ahead.

Alec.

Alec is there.

Alec is there, standing loud and proud, just as ever, just as he was before –

She felt sick.

Her father stood in front of the console she needed to get the gravity well activated, eyes focused on his omnitool. He glanced up at the sound of their footsteps and she really, truly, took him in. His locked, black hair was pulled back into a thick, wide ponytail that fell to the nape of his neck, dark stubble dancing across his ruddy-brown jaw. Freckles dotted across his wide, flat nose, and the beauty mark she had spent hours staring at as a child was still nestled in the same spot, just slightly under his left eye.

Tired, icy blue eyes met hers then trailed over to the twin pair as her brother fell into step beside her, and time stood still. Silence fell between them, her heart stopping and her breath hitching. The air felt strange, weird, off, the longer they stared at each other and something inside of her just _ached_ \- It ached in the worst way, a way that she could not put her finger on and it was enough to drive her insane.

She had no idea whether she wanted to punch him or hug him.

Maybe a bit of both.

James moved before she could even think to, running forward before throwing himself at their father as his voice cracked and broke, a sob taking control of him before he could really speak. “I – I thought I’d,” it sharply faded off and his nails dug into the man’s back, his face contorting in grief as his chest heaved. Her heart hurt at the sight, her eyes squeezing shut.

“It’s okay, kiddo.” Alec’s hand rubbed the softest circle on his lower back, tears pricking the edges of his icy blue eyes as joy flickered through them. “It's okay. I’m here, bubs.”

Kylie could not watch.

Her stomach churned as she sharply turned away from them, her mind reeling as she felt eyes follow after her and she started towards the console, determined to distract herself and ignore him. The briefest flash, the quickest memory of the pain she was going to have to go through, again, made her feel nauseous. She paused as her hands grasped the edges of the console, squaring her shoulders as she took in a deep breath and her hand hesitated before it reached out –

An umber hand caught hers, pulling it away before the orange electrodes could connect. Her heart skipped a beat and she looked over, finding her favorite brunette standing there with his thick brows furrowed and a slight pout on his face. Worry almost seemed to flicker in his chocolate eyes and she swallowed down the sudden bubble that was about to burst in her throat, his grip tightening.

“You good, Lala? I know how you feel about…” His gaze trailed over to the two men hugging, her eyes following before they ripped away from the sight, and he cleared his throat. “You know. And I don’t want you to do this,” he nodded to the console as he shook her hand, “as a means to ignore how you’re feeling, okay? I know how you -”  
  
“When did you become a psych?” Kylie glared at him, his hand squeezing hers as she pointedly looked away from him. Her eyes fell shut, a rough sigh leaving her before she finally looked back at him and swallowed thickly, shaking her head. “I’m fine, Lola.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I’m _fine_.”

“No, you’re not!" His voice rose, urgency cracking it. "I know your tells – I know you like the back of my goddamn hand! I can tell when you’re feeling uncomfortable and I sure as hell can tell when you’re about to have a fucking breakdown because you get this little twitch in your nose and your lips fucking tremble. I see all of those right now and I’m telling you, I’m here if –”

Her arms wrapped around him faster than she could even process, her chest heaving as she let out a shaky breath. “I’m okay, really.” Broken words murmured against the skin of his neck before she pressed her lips together and his arms hugged her tight. An ache settled deep in her chest. “I don’t know whether I want to fucking kill him or hug him. I hate him, but I’m… I’m almost relieved he’s alive." Her voice fell as her head slowly shook. "I – I don’t know.”

“That’s okay – It’s okay to not know.” His eyes met hers as he pulled back and their foreheads pressed against each other’s, a strange emotion, a soft moment, shared between the two of them. Her heart felt full in the best way, swallowing down the ache. A slow grin curled the edges of her lips to reveal a slight flash of teeth, her eyes twinkling with near-mischief. “Jay is rubbing off on you.”

Liam snorted, his eyes crinkling in the cutest way. “God, I fucking know he is. It's the _worst_.” They slightly pulled back, a happy smile dancing across his stubbly face as his eyes flickered over her face and followed the dotted constellation of her freckles. “Y’know, I actually was thinking about asking him to marry me.”

Her eyes shot wide open, her jaw falling slack. “Wait, what?”

“Oh,” he let out a shaky, airy chuckle, his brows briefly furrowing before they shot up as his arms fell from around her and he warily cleared his throat. A nervous grin flickered across his face, hesitant and awkward. “Did I, uh... Did I happen to say that out loud?”

“Um… Yeah,” Kylie’s hands met her hips and she quirked up a dark brow. He grew sheepish under her near-intense gaze, a soft flush dancing across his face as he rubbed at the back of his neck and avoided her eyes, her lips pursing. “Yeah, you did.”

“Well –“

“So, you hug him, but you don’t hug your own father? After everything I’ve gone through, everything I’ve suffered, just for you?” Alec’s voice cut through the air and her stomach dropped. Her eyes met his as she fell back a step, looking over to the krogan and catching his gaze. Something flickered in his deep-set eyes, most akin to pure anger, as he sharply looked over at the man and his voice came out with the utmost poison, a shiver running down her spine. “I’m her dad now, jackass. You left her hundreds of years ago.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Her father scoffed as he looked over at the krogan, his hand sharply gesturing to her. “I –“

Drack stormed towards him, rage fueling him and taking control. “You don’t get to fucking pick when you want your kid to be _your_ kid.” His finger pointed in his face before it flattened and he roughly pushed his chest, sending him back a step as his words came rushing out and rose with each word. “‘Specially not when you leave them behind in some fucking attempt at vain glory, giving them a title they never fucking wanted, and putting them under so much fucking stress that they want to fucking kill themselves!”

“Dad –“

“I hardly even met your ass back on the Nexus and I fucking _hate_ you!" Spit splattered across the raven's face as the krogan nearly screamed his words, their faces mere inches apart. "If you _ever_ put your hands on my fucking kid, if you even just barely look at my goddamn ru’shan with your slimy-ass, ungrateful eyes that you don’t fucking deserve, ever fucking again, I'll be the one to fucking –“

“Dad!” They both looked over at her as she rushed over, her eyes flickering from one to the other. Her hand met the krogan’s arm, pulling him away. She felt awkward under the man’s gaze, her heart skipping a beat. “I love you to death, but now’s not the time to get into this, okay? We gotta save my mom – We gotta get the Archon before he can go through with this.”

His dark eyes met hers, softening the longer they stared at each other, before they flickered over to catch the man’s icy gaze. Silence fell upon them before a low growl rumbled in his chest and he sharply nodded, giving her hand a squeeze before he walked away. His shoulder brushed Alec’s as he passed by him, hard, and he shot him a fleeting glare over his shoulder.

Jaal grasped her hand, following her as she approached the console once more. His hand met her lower back, steadying her and allowing the softest spurt of his bioelectricity to trickle in as she took in a deep breath and her hand reached out. Orange connected to her fingertips, her vision swimming as lights flickered up the length of her arm and sparked against her temples. She screamed, her stomach tensing as her free hand’s nails dug into the edge of the console and tears bit at the corners of her eyes.

The angara could barely stand to watch, could barely stomach the pain in her voice while the glow over the console danced back and forth. His eyes squeezed shut as he looked away, his grip on her tightening as his heart squeezed in his chest in the worst way. “Stay strong, my love." Emotion pulled at his voice and made the pain worse. "Do it for our mother, to spite the Archon and prove him wrong - I believe in you, my dearest one.”

A rough spark sent her hand flying away from the console as the lights fell flat, hitting his chest and sparking with his bioelectricity. He gasped as blood trickled down her nose and she wiped it away, her breathing ragged as her hand flexed and bent, over and over as feeling slowly returned back to it. Electricity crackled at the edges of her gloves and she swallowed thickly.

Kylie took in another steadying breath, eyes squeezing shut as she reached back out. The cry that came out of her sent a shiver down her spine, wretched and horrid, deep and guttural, as the orange traveled across her body and bathed over her dark features. Her lips trembled before they pressed together, teeth digging into the skin.

The controls pushed in and out, fighting against her and tugging on where her connection to her implant should be within her head, before they finally gave way and flattened down in a wave. A sharp hiss sounded as the floor parted and revealed the gravity well, the low hum sending a comforting feeling washing through her body as a rush of air left her.

She felt weak, her legs giving out as blood trickled down her nose. Her armored knee skidded against the tiled, metal floor, emitting a screech, and gloved hands barely caught her landing before she could fall flat on her face. The room spun around her, blotches of black dancing through her vision. A cough ripped through her, followed by a hard, painful gag and the familiar feeling of bile in the back of her throat was enough to send her over the edge –

No, she has to stay strong, stay focused, _do not get sick, do not get sick, do not get sick, please_ –

A kiss pressed against her head grounded her, brought her back down from her panic. Her hand met his as her free hand wiped under her nose and she desperately squeezed his hand, gratitude surging through her as he carefully helped her stand. “I love you so much,” she said softly, a quiet breath leaving her as his hands cradled her jaw. “Just in case you don’t get to hear that and something happens.”

“Nothing is going to happen, my love.” His hand fell to snake his arm around her waist, his thumb gently brushing along the soft curve of her jaw. “I love you so much more, just as you know.” Their foreheads pressed together, her eyes squeezing shut as she let out a shaky breath. “But I will promise you this, my love – Nothing is going to happen to you, our child, or myself. You have my word.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I know.” She swallowed thickly, slightly, quickly nodding her head. “I know.” Her eyes met his, a soft, fleeting look shared between them as she reluctantly pulled away. Hands met as they approached the gravity well, her stomach flipping when she stared down at the sharp drop down below. She looked up at him and nervously smiled, taking in a deep breath. “Ready?” Her hand squeezed his as their gazes met and he happily grinned, nodding his head. Their hands slightly swung, a quiet countdown, before they jumped and grasped their free hands.

Air whipped around them as they free-fell before the gravity dancing around their bodies caught them and slowed their fall. Her icy blue eyes met his bright blues and she grinned, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to keep her frayed nerves from exploding. He stared in awe, watching her braids whip around her head and her baby hairs danced around the edges of her hairline. His heart skipped. “You look so stunningly beautiful, my love.”

A beat skipped in her heart. His bright rofjinn blew up, fanning around him and covering his face before she could speak - She snorted into a mess of giggles as he sputtered and tried to hold it off of him without letting go of her, his brows abruptly furrowed in pure irritation. “You look just as beautiful,” her foot nudged his and he rolled his eyes, “rofjinn face and all, babe.”

Eyes glanced up to catch the rest following them, James and Liam holding onto each other as their happy laughter flitted through the straight-down, blue-lit cavern. Her fathers looked irritated, their gazes caught with each other’s and the tension spiraling like a jagged knife between them, before her eyes trailed over to the tanned man and he winked at her, his short, dark hair blowing in a crazy mess about his head.

That only made her smile grow even more as she looked away, her thumbs softly brushing over the angara’s. It still did not feel real – Where they are, that is. A strange, foreboding feeling crawled through her chest and she cleared her throat, willing it away.

 _“E-E-Energy…”_ Suvi’s voice slowly flickered in and out over their comms, static echoing against vast, glowing walls. It chirped once, twice, before it finally cleared and the familiar tone danced through the gravity well and bounced off of their comms in a wave. _“Energy spike! The Archon is doing something in there!”_

“Suvi?!” Kylie’s hands tightened on the angara’s, shock grabbing her as her eyes widened and she stared down at her wrist. Her omnitool briefly hummed on, the connection finalizing as voices flooded in and overlapped each other in a jumbled, incoherent mess, trying to fight over each other be heard. “Tempest, holy shit - You’re back?”

 _“We’re back, Ryder!”_ She could almost feel Kallo’s triumphant grin, almost see his face just lighting up as he continued, excitement dancing through his happy voice. _“Thank God - Just in time, too. Relaying the layout to your omnitool, and sending it to anyone else that wants to follow.”_

 _“Kylie?!”_ The sheer-panic in Lexi’s voice sent a shiver up her spine. _“Kylie Ryder!”_ She hesitated, her voice flipping back and forth between sheer relief and pure anger. _“And Nakmor Drack! I don’t know who’s neck to wrangle first, but I’m standing by for as soon as you get out of there – I want to see the both of you, before anything else!”_

“Don’t blame me – I didn’t crash the Nomad, Mom!” Her brows sharply furrowed as she caught the angara’s bright blue eyes, amusement twinkling through them. She shot him a glare and he chuckled, her foot kicking his as she quickly continued. “A ship literally bombed us out! It wasn't my fault -”

 _“Doesn’t matter! I’ll be standing by for Janelle as well, of course.”_ Her eyes trailed up to her father as the asari continued, his expression slightly falling as he processed the nickname. A slight pang of guilt hit her, her brows slowly furrowing. _“But, pardon my language, I’m going to kick your ass - No, both of your asses, as soon as you’re back and safe and in front of me.”_

Tense shoulders relaxed as the doctor’s voice faded out and she sighed. “God, I’m so glad they’re back.”

“I’m glad to hear my bluebutt’s voice, too.” The deep rumble of Drack’s voice made her smile as she looked up at him. He stared down at her, brows furrowed as he grumbled under his breath before speaking aloud. “Didn’t know it was possible to miss someone you saw just half an hour ago. Shit, I miss her a lot.”

“That’s love for you, Dad.”

“Yeah,” he scoffed, “well.”

Their feet gently landed on the ground, her body needing a second to adjust before she could finally move. She took a faltering step forward when a hand clasped her shoulder, making her pause, and she looked over, watching as Reyes took in the endless chasm with wide-eyed wonder as he spun in a slow circle.

“So _this_ is what the inside of a monolith looks like?” A slow, awe-filled grin curled the corners of his lips as he looked at her, excitement flickering in his honeyed eyes as his arms widely gestured. “Why haven’t you dragged me along with you to one of these bad boys yet?”

“Ha!” She snorted, rolling her eyes as she punched his shoulders. “’Cause they usually have a weird-ass death cloud that you have to out-run and, as much as I love you and who you are as a person, Mr. Smooth,” her hand patted his, “I don’t wanna lug your dead ass back ‘cause your scrawny legs couldn’t out-run it like my tiny ones can.”

“Ah.”

Her eyes took in the eerily-glowing walls, trailing down to the lines of embedded technology lowly humming across the walls and floors. Over-grown branches and plants peeked out through the cracked tile, her hand skimming along one of the metal, shrub-covered railings as she slowly walked through the towering cavern. “This is different from the other ones, though.”

A soft sigh left her as she looked back at the few people behind her, her eyes slightly narrowing as the slightest hint of confusion flickered through her voice. “They weren’t as green as this one, though. It's really weird.”

“Nope, they definitely weren't.” James quipped in from across the never-ending room, standing just at the entrance to the wide, winding hallway ahead. Shadows fell over it, obscuring the length of it from their vision as light flecks of blue danced just out of sight. “More so filled with killer robots and creepy-ass death fog than flora.”

“And definitely not as pretty-looking as this one.” A hand met the raven’s waist as Liam rounded his boyfriend, their fingers lacing as they started down the hall. “Wanna bet it’s ‘cause your mom is in here and everything? Y'know,” his elbow nudged his, "she livened up the place a bit - I mean, that's how she is all the time anyways, so."

“God, you're such a fucking charmer, Lili.” James snorted, their voices slowly fading and echoing in a bounce off of the cave's walls as they gradually disappeared around the bend of the corner. “I’m pretty sure this place has been standing here way before my mom was ever even born, so...”

Impatient stomps from just ahead of her broke her focus on the two, vanishing men’s laughter, an irritated krogan staring back at her with his arms folded over his broad chest. “We ain’t got all goddamn day, ru’shan. Let’s go and crush the Archon’s balls so we can save the fuckin' day like we always do.”

She grinned, rushing up to link her arm with his. “Hell yeah.”

* * *

  
Comms slowly flickered in and out on her omnitool as it slowly lit up over her wrist, the slightest hint of static bubbling just behind the pilot’s words before they finally filtered through the haze and broke through the echoing sounds of gunfire. _“Vetra’s mercs are taking it to the kett, Pathfinder! They're getting their asses kicked!”_

“God, they better!” Kylie quickly called out, sliding over the top of the crate she had been crouched behind as it erupted in an explosion and sliding forward behind a glowing, raised platform. A giddy laugh behind her made her glance back, the brunette staring at her with wide, happy eyes as more of the kett ahead fell. “Holy shit, we might just win this, Lala!”

“Usually, I’d agree,” the tawny man quipped in from beside him, falling back behind his cover as he let out a shaky breath to pop in more ammo, “but I do believe that victory won’t matter if the Archon takes control before we can stop him and he blows up all of our planets, yeah? _That_ would be a pointless victory.”

“Okay, Negative Nancy.”

“We’ll end his sorry ass before he can do that,” Drack added in from across the curve of the platform ahead, shoving his omnitool’s blade through a kett’s chest as his gun whipped up to take off another's head. The alien gurgled as the glowing sword seared through his chest, his eyes rolling back as blood pooled from his mouth and he fell limp. “Trust me.”

Something pressed against her back and she tensed, her eyes shooting wide open and her gun whipping over –

“Relax, kiddo.” Her father’s hand promptly caught the firearm as he winced, quickly pointing it away from his face and towards the kett. “It’s just me – You know, your actual father that you refuse to call your father for whatever reason you’re about to make up to make me feel bad," his eyes flickered over to glare at her, "like always.”

“That I'm about to 'make up'? Are you for real?” Kylie’s eyes narrowed as she looked up at him, her nostrils briefly flaring as her jaw fell open in pure disbelief. Wonder grabbed at her voice, breathless. “It’s ‘cause you were a piece of shit to me and my family for my entire life.”

“Our family.” He corrected and she shook her head.

“ _My_ family,” her finger roughly pointed to her, pushing with each poison-laced word, “that _I_ took care of while _you,”_ it sharply gestured to him, pressing against his chest, “spent my whole entire fucking life making Sam instead of being the fucking Dad that _I needed!_  Mom raised us _on her own_ before you guys got divorced and then _I_ had to give up my goddamn childhood to take care of her and Jay, especially after she got too sick to even fucking _move_.”

“I didn't spend my entire life making Sam for nothing! And I didn’t _want_ us to get divorced – I loved her, you know?” Alec’s eyes softened as they met hers, a strange feeling constricting her heart. Determination tensed her shoulders as he continued, shaking his head. “Just like I love you and your brother, then and now.”

“Nice sentiment, ‘cause it never felt like you did.” Her hands roughly grabbed her gun, turning her attention back to the kett. Eyes hyper-focused on a Destined ahead, watching it move through her sniper rifle’s scope before shooting its head clean off. Her breathing came out labored, the swell of emotions in her chest threatening to overwhelm her. She swallowed them down.

“I know,” he knelt beside her, staring down the barrel of his gun. The slightest bit of pride hit him as he watched the alien’s head fly, his eyes softening as he glanced over at her and his heart felt heavy the longer he stared at his child. Guilt. He felt guilt. “Because I’m shitty at showing my emotions - You know that, Janelle.”

"Kylie." She corrected, rolling her eyes. “And _t_ _hat’s_ obvious. Sam told me you were jealous of me a few months ago when I was going through your memories you hid away.”

Silence fell upon them, his body growing rigid. A chord struck him at her nonchalant words, his thick brows slowly furrowing as his jaw tensed and his lips pursed. “Yeah, I was.” He started after a minute, his shoulders falling in defeat. “You seemed to inherit your mother’s knack of having her emotions on her sleeve. You know I’ve always been the introverted one in the family, kid. It's hard -”

“That didn’t make it okay for you to treat me like _that_!” Words exploded from her before she could help it or even think twice, her breathing ragged and heavy. “You seriously think that was a valid enough reason to scream, yell, belittle your kid?!” She pushed him onto his ass, hands flexing and violently gesturing as her gun clattered to the ground. “You acted like me having emotions, having _feelings_ , was the worst thing in the entire world!”

“When I brought home that asari from high school, all those years ago?” Trembling hands dug into the intricate pattern of her braids, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as her voice rose. “That meltdown you had at me in front of her _ruined_ my life! She stopped talking to me, blocked me on everything, and stopped hanging out with me at school. She pretended like she didn't even know me!”

“Then, you remember Nes’saria? The salarian girl I met from my first job as a secretary at C-Sec in my senior year? I know you sent her death threats to keep her from seeing me.” Anger gave way to disbelief, icy blue eyes widening as she stared at him and her hands numbly trailed down her head. “She put in her two weeks the day after. That _hurt_." Her lips quivered, words growing hot and heated. "I was in love with her and _you_ took her from _me_ because _you_ didn’t want me to be _happy_!”

A slight tremble settled in her shoulders as she stared at him, desperately holding back the tears threatening to overwhelm her, to swallow her alive. “God fucking _forbid_ your goddamn child to be happy for once in her miserable-fucking-life!” Her voice fell soft, quiet, as she stared at him, her expression faltering and giving way to grief as the words left her. “What you did was _abuse_. You _abused_ me - You did everything you could to sabotage my life, to take away anything that made me feel even just an iota of joy, because you didn't want me to be _happy_.”

Alec stared at her with wide eyes, his mouth agape with words that could not leave him.

“Not to mention all the times you would yell at Mom for giving up on her treatments towards the end - She was _tired_ , she was _exhausted_ from the fucking radiation that made her sick all the fucking time and you thought it was the end of the world because she just wanted to lay down and _sleep_ without machines hooked up to her!” She rubbed at nothing on her face, annoyance digging underneath. “And the way you treated Jay, with your stupid fucking sexist-bullshit about how men don’t cry?”

Hands grasped his shoulders, their faces mere inches apart as venom laced her tone and her voice grew low, threatening. “You’re lucky I didn’t beat your ass into the ground that fucking day." Her voice cracked, heavy. "That was the day I washed my hands of you. I hated you - I hate you _so_ fucking much.”

A long pause, silence falling between them as his icy eyes stared into her icy ones, a feature she got from him that she had never liked. He watched her relive the briefest flash of the memory, and his heart broke at the pain hidden inside. His voice did not want to work, words stuttering. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s _not_ okay. It’ll _never_ be okay and I’m _never_ going to forgive you, so just fucking drop it and leave me _alone_.” The hurt in his teary eyes almost made her feel guilty, her lips pressing together. “I’m happy. I’m in such a good fucking place in my goddamn life right now, not that you’d even give a fucking shit.” She pushed him away, the back of her hand rubbing at her nose as she reached for her gun. “I’m engaged – I’m pregnant, with twins, if you couldn’t fucking tell by my giant-ass stomach.”

“With that angara – Jaal, right?”

“Don’t say his name!” Her gun pointed right at his face, his hands shooting up and his eyes widening. “You don’t _deserve_ to say his name.”

Alec numbly nodded, his eyes narrowing as she finally turned her gun away from him and took up her position by him. He picked his gun up from the ground, thumbing over the trigger before he peered up from their cover. “I kept your kids alive.” He said it so nonchalantly, so carefree, that it shocked her down to her core. “When you died, that is.”

Her heart stopped, icy eyes wide as she looked over at him in disbelief. “What?”

“I had the direct connection to your Sam implant, so I hard-wired it to focus solely on maintaining your kids’ vitals.” He looked over at her, a strange look dancing through his icy blue eyes. Softness pulled at his voice before he cleared it. “That’s also why you kicked the bucket - Had to choose between keeping you or your kids safe. I know you're a stubborn little shit, so I had no doubt you'd come back without my help.”

A sneer pulled at the corner of her lips. “I don’t believe you.”

His shoulder quirked up in an idle shrug, his head shaking as a scoff escaped him. “I’ll prove it to you later, after we get your mother back. It wasn't just Sam helping you out there, you know.”

* * *

  
The further they went into the Remnant monolith, the more incoherent the structure became. Endless twist after endless twist wound around sharp corners, forming awkwardly shaped platforms that seemed to flow with a never-ending wave of kett. Flora intertwined with technology, glowing an eerie green and blue. Her stomach twisted as she slid into cover beside an angaran soldier, her eyes meeting his before he nodded and took out a kett stationed across the dip of the platform ahead.

 _“Deploying everyone available, Pathfinder!”_ Kandros quipped in through their comms as she popped in another ammo sink, peering over the edge of her cover as the previous, overheated one loudly clattered to the floor. A scoff came after, followed by Dr. Aridana speaking up with the slightest flash of annoyance in her tone. _“Not strictly true –”_

A haughty laugh interrupted her, a twange in his voice. _“Save the pedantry for the victory party,”_ Chief Lucan snorted, the noise slightly interrupted by a bout of gunfire. A moment passed before he laughed, again, and she could almost feel him shake his head, feel him roll his eyes through their comms. Her eyes trailed over to the angaran soldier beside her. “I guess they’re –“

“Your orders are clear!” A booming voice filtered into the room, a snarl dancing behind the malice in the words. Kylie’s shoulders squared, urgency grabbing ahold of her chest as her icy blue eyes set in determination and glared down the barrel of her gun. She searched for the source of the voice through her scope, her brows furrowed. “The Initiative species must be stopped! The angara? _Stopped_!”

“I – Understood,” another voice came, kett, but fear mingled in its voice. It sounded terrified, the tremble in it almost tangible. “But we require new forces! We’re –”

“You will do as you are ordered!” The kett’s angry, malice-filled voice was interrupted by a loud bang, a loud clatter, followed by a rush of apologies and various remarks from scattered aliens around them. “For the glory of the kett and for our leader, you will do as the Archon has commanded you to do!”

 _“Kett are on a rally! Call out! Can we hold them?”_ The slightest tinge of near-fear in Kandros’ voice made her stomach flip, her eyes wide and her brows furrowed as she looked down and away. A slight pause bit at their comms and her heart dropped, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find words. She has never been good at motivating people, and - 

 _“The Resistance is with you, Pathfinder.”_ Heckt chimed in and a beat in her heart skipped, fingers idly tapping a rhythm against her gun. Her mind raced with thoughts, her eyes looking over to catch the krogan storming down the ramp leading across to the bridge where most of the kett were stationed. He shot her a thumbs up, disappearing in a cloud of smoke before reappearing behind a kett and beheading the alien in one, quick swoop.

 _“Too lean for this, Pathfinder.”_ The turian took in a quick breath as her icy blue eyes searched the technology-laced ground running beneath her feet. She followed the glowing line of blue, watching as it led down and across to the kett's temporary leader across the room. _“We risk being more of a distraction than actual help at this point.”_

“Got it, Kandros.” A sharp breath left her as she propelled herself forward, bolting around the bend of her cover and crossing the distance to join Reyes’ cover just off to the side. Her back hit the metal and her eyes squeezed shut, hitting the side of her gun. Frustration bit at her for the briefest moment, a sigh leaving her. “Do what you gotta do, keep our troops safe.”

Reyes’ thick brows slowly furrowed as he caught the sight of three ships inbound, doors on the sides hissing open to reveal a plethora of kett taunting them from inside. “Drop ship on its way!” He called out, his honeyed eyes meeting hers as he quickly fell to his knees to replace his ammo sink. A slight flicker of worry in his eyes made her feel sick, his hand hesitating to reach out to touch hers. “You good, hermana?”

“I’m good, hermano –”

 _“So are we!”_ Evfra immediately chimed in, interrupting them. _“Do we have the ability to assist, Pathfinder? What can we do?”_ Reyes paused, eyes searching the kett ahead before they met hers. She nodded and he spoke, eyes searching his glowing omnitool. “We certainly won’t turn down an offer for help.”

A moment of silence fell through their comms, the only noises being gunshots whirring by and landing against the metal protection of their glowing cover. She let out a soft breath as another ding hit just behind her back, a hand brushing her baby hairs behind her ear before –

 _“We’re not in a position to take on drop ships, Pathfinder!”_ Her heart sank, eyes squeezing shut as she cursed under her breath.

“Do what you gotta do, Evfra. Stay safe, keep yourself and your troops safe.” Kylie’s hand trembled as her comms faded and she turned around, peering over the edge of the platform before a hand met her shoulder. Her body tensed as she looked over. Whiskey eyes met hers and his grip slightly tightened, more reassuring than anything, before nodding his head. “We’re good, hermana. Don’t worry.”

“I know.”

Their attention snapped back to the barrage of kett ahead, determined minds hazy as bullet after bullet left their guns. Ammo sinks popped and fell every minute, her eyes hyper-focused and her breathing slow and quiet as she took out one kett right after the other, fingers falling numb from how tight she was gripping her gun.

Minutes passed, though they felt more like hours, before the last kett fell and her entire body slowly relaxed back against the cool metal of their cover. A long, soft sigh left her as the tawny man plopped down beside her, his hand meeting her armored knee as he shot her his trademark, toothy smirk. “What did I tell you?”

She scoffed. “Yeah –“

 _“We’re clear, but we need to regroup.”_ Kandros broke her train of thought, her body shooting straight up. Her eyes met golden ones as she took in a shaky breath, listening as Evfra quickly chirped in. _“Keep going, Pathfinder. We’ll shore up the rear, make sure nothing gets through to you and your people. Keep pushing - We're right behind you.”_

Their gazes met once more and she slowly nodded her head, grasping his hand as she gripped the lighted platform to help her stand. He followed suit, carefully steadying her. “Let’s get moving – At least, before more dumbasses come our way and we get tied down here.”

“Everyone good?” She called out as they started across the bridge, hands falling from each other’s in favor of checking the ammo sink on her sniper rifle. A plethora of voices called to her as footsteps echoed through the chasm, her people falling into place and a warm, tingly hand landing on her lower back as they walked through the wide, opened doors at the end of the bridge.

An eerie, bright blue wash of color bathed their features and danced around the walls of the room as they crossed the threshold, a low hum sounding through the technology-laced platform in the center of the room. Her eyes slowly took it in, her jaw slacking in awe as the lights flickered on and off, on and off, a brilliant light show that entranced her -

“Are you okay, my love?” Jaal’s soft, sweet voice broke her from her trance, a gasp escaping her as he touched her back. “You aren’t hurt, right?”

Her eyes flickered up to catch his as she quickly holstered her gun, her heart skipping a beat at the minute worry dancing through his bright, blue eyes. She smiled, reaching up to grasp his shoulder and give it a soft squeeze. “I’m good, babe. Are you okay? Did you get shot or anything when I wasn't looking?”

"No, I did not. I am, however," he started, quickly bending down to press a kiss against the top of her head as his hand gently ghosted down her twin braids. “Very good, knowing that my love is okay.” His words murmured against the top of her braids. "That's all I ever need."

“God," she snorted, "you’re so sweet that you _literally_ rot my teeth out.” Her airy giggle echoed and bounced as it melted with his and they walked out of the small room, walls giving way to reveal an endless chasm winding around them in every direction. Pillars laced with flora and plants towered throughout in a near-pattern, her heart skipping a beat as they came to stop at a platform.

“These…” Hesitation bit at her as she approached the console settled to the left of the long, wide bridge jutting across the room and her hand reached out, eyes flickering around. “These pillars definitely don’t seem structural. Is this all ‘Meridian’?" She shook her head. "It's crazy - This place is... Huge.”

Her heart skipped a beat as she stared down at the Remnant console settled in front of her, reluctance grabbing ahold of her body as she watched its lights flicker. Her arm tensed as the thought of the electrodes crossed her mind and she felt fear bite her - She was not sure if she could handle much more of this.

A slow breath left her as a reassuring, tingly hand met her lower back and she steadied herself, dread pooling in her stomach. She finally, slowly, reached out, allowing the orange electrodes to connect with her fingertips while her other hand grabbed her shoulder, gloved fingers digging into the jutting armor for purchase. Her armor dug painfully into her fingers, piercing the skin -

Electric spurts danced up her arm in sharp waves, her body jolting with each spastic bounce as it made its way up her arm. Her jaw clenched, teeth grinding down as her eyes squeezed shut and she let out a whimper. The starts of a bridge formed as the controls gave in, a chime echoing, bouncing through the room as tile after tile shaped and stacked over one another.

Her body curled over the console as the angara's muted voice tickled the edges of her hearing, a tell-tale sign of pure fatigue and exhaustion settling deep inside of her brain the longer she laid there. A brief thought, a quick flash, of maybe she could _not_ do this, maybe she could _not_ handle any more of this much longer, sent a rush of panic up her spine, goosebumps following as her stomach flickered on her mind and –

“Eh, so it’s big,” Drack’s deep voice broke her from her racing thoughts and flooded her senses as his hand pushed the angara’s away from her and he hesitated. “And happens to control a galaxy.” He pulled her away from the console and into a tight hug, fingers gently skimming down her braids. “You’re bigger,” a slow grin danced across his face, his hearts feeling heavy as blood slowly trickled down from her wide nose and he wiped it away. “And we can still take it with guns.”

“Yeah!” James quipped in, clapping her shoulder. She winced, a sheepish look crossing his features as he smiled at her and rubbed a gentle circle over her shoulder where he hit. “With the Dynamic Duo, we can do anything together, Kay.”

Kylie softly laughed, her eyes crinkling as the brief thought of the pain she had felt moments ago finally faded away from her memory and she slowly relaxed. “Yeah,” she said softly as the krogan carefully let her go, wiping at her nose with the back of her hand as the twins laced hands and started down the bridge. “Hell yeah, we can.”

“Glad to see you two haven’t lost your gusto with that whole ‘dynamic duo’ bullshit,” Alec added in as he started ahead of the group, his omnitool glowing on his wrist as he turned his attention down to the soft wash of orange flickering over his ruddy-brown forearm. He glanced back, giving them an irritated glare. “It’s still just as endearingly annoying, though.”

His words made her heart hurt, her expression falling.

“I love my goddamn Dynamic Duo,” Drack’s footsteps stomped on the ground, the noise echoing through the cavern as he made his way over and caught her attention. He grabbed the twins and pulled them into his arms, gratitude making her heart feel heavy as he squeezed them against his sides and she swallowed back tears. “And you can shove your ‘endearingly annoying’ bullshit up your fucking rigid ass.”

* * *

  
The moment the kett behind her fell and her foot stepped through the open doors, all hell broke loose.

 _“Kylie!”_ Panic surged through Suvi’s voice as her comms briskly flickered on, the fear dancing just behind it making her entire body freeze right in her steps. Exhaustion bit at the edges of her brain as her eyes widened and she glanced back at her brother, her brows sharply furrowing as she caught his worried gaze and the redhead continued.  _“I’m detecting multiple system failures on the Hyperion!”_

“What?!” Icy blue eyes shot wide open and her jaw dropped as she looked away from him and at the group behind her, frantically searching each of them for an answer, something, _anything,_ only to find blank stares and worried glares in return. “Is – Is – Fuck, okay." Hands sharply balled into fists. "Shit.”

Her boot scuffed the floor as she fervently shook her head, fingers digging into one of her braids as she quickly switched comm channels, tapping into the right one. “Dunn? Dunn, come in.” No answer came and she cursed, slamming her foot into a glowing platform beside her as frustration ate away at her. “Okay, Dunn, talk to me! I can’t help you do shit if you don’t talk to me!”

Silence, quiet. One second, followed by another, then one after another until a minute had passed and the tension was _so_ thick -

"Goddamnit!" Anger boiled in her veins and she shook her head as she scoffed, her hand pressing against her forehead as she started to pace a near-hole into the tiled ground. "Dunn, you seriously need to answer me. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on!" Her voice cracked, fatigue mixing with fear and bottled-up emotions - She cannot lose more of  _her_ people to this  _fucking mess,_ to this stupid-ass alien's fucking  _bullshit obsession -_

A hand gently grasped her shoulder, the softest tingle of bioelectricity calming her. She swallowed thickly as her eyes squeezed shut and she looked away, a shaky breath leaving her as an arm wrapped around her waist and she almost broke, her features contorting in grief as she fought against it. "Dunn, please... Please, answer me. I - I can't lose you, too."

The longest, drawn-out moment of silence fell between them as the static slowly faded away. Her heart felt heavy as the air grew dense around them and her head ached. The longer the quiet remained among them, the faster her heart beat in her chest, only to be broken, ripped in half by a ragged gasp. Gasps sounded behind her. Tears bit at the edges of the voice over the comms, determination and curt inset and the usual, steady tone wavering as she swallowed thickly.

_"Stay out of our way."_


	33. a hole in the earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took awhile !! i've been having a few health issues the past few weeks but it should all be good now hopefully! i so appreciate and love each and every one of you so much, i still feel so honored knowing that so many of you love this series as much as i do!! you can also check out my tumblr (havvk-e) for mini updates on my progress w chapters !!

“There’s no pulling up,” her voice wavered, disbelief mixed in, as alarms boomed behind her in a deafening pattern, faltered as she leaned over the railing on the bridge; Fear inched down her spine, the briefest flash of hesitation swallowing her before she steeled herself. “This is your captain speaking,“ a shaky breath left her, features set in determination as she pointed from one crew member to the other, it's trail ending sharply at the opened, malfunctioning doors behind her. “I need everyone to go to cryo.”

Gasps scattered and wide eyes flickered to stare at her as she quickly walked down the steps, omnitool raised and casting an orange hue dancing across her soft, serious features as fingers frantically tapped an unsteady rhythm into the keys. Dunn stopped, brows sharply furrowing when not a soul moved and she looked up. “Go.”

Not even a twitch, jaws dropped and -

“Go!” Her voice cracked as it sharply rose, hands vividly gesturing – Frustration tickled at the edges of her head, a desire to scratch it away rising. “I said go, and that's a goddamn order from _your captain_!" Hands balled into tight fists, nails breaking skin as she stepped off the staircase. "I’m rerouting power to all medbay inertials. I can give us _one_ shot, and if you want to fuck it up by -”

Lani caught her gaze, interrupting her near-frantic ranting, and her heart nearly stopped. The woman numbly nodded, the slightest flicker of grief in her eyes, before running a hand down her ponytail and catching the attendee’s arm beside her. He shook his head and her grip tightened, his shoulders tensing. She pulled him with her as she took a step back, eyes never leaving hers as they headed for the doors.

A soft pause at the door as her hand caught it while the attendee went by made her breath hitched. She glanced back, sullen.

Dunn couldn’t look at her.

Eyes squeezed shut, the captain unable to feel her legs as she forced herself to sit down on the pilot's seat as the last soul left. She sobered when her eyes slowly opened and her gaze met with the controls ahead. Fingertips laid on the armrests, trailing under to tap in the access code as she took in a deep breath and nausea rushed through her like a wave, a tremble slightly settling in her hands.

She’s going to die.

Nails dug into the faux leather of the seat as her heart skipped a beat and her lips pressed together to hold back the bile biting in the back of her throat, her heart growing more and more frantic as seconds turned into minutes, passing by all-too-quickly and a cold realization numbed her as the controls flickered green beneath her fingers –

She's going to die.

 _“I can keep the kett away; Is there any way that you two can assist?”_ Hayjer’s voice brought a spark of hope dancing through her chest, eating away at her frantic thoughts. Chocolate eyes widened for the softest moment, a false hope, before they abruptly fell, fleeting, and her heart crashed in a way she couldn't explain.

“The sleepers take priority, Pathfinder.”

She sounded defeated.

She was.

A breath left her, shock settling in the longer she sat there.

No -

She’s going to do this.

She’s _going_ to _do_ this _–_ Even if it kills her.

Her gaze locked on to the viewing window ahead, the Hyperion slowly down-turning and making a shallow dip towards the richly-green ground of Meridian below as the air sharply warped around their ship; A wing blew off, caught on a rock, and sparks shot out, skittering around the edges and obscuring the lush flora with a bright dance of yellows and oranges.

“All hands brace!” Dunn gritted out through clenched teeth to no one, nails digging into the leather and legs hooking under the metal rod beneath her seat to steady herself.

Comms flickered active on her wrist as they inched closer, closer, right to the ground, dread and acceptance pooling at her feet; Red flashed and flickered at the edges of her vision, alarms wailing - The static-filled sound of Kylie’s frantic pleas filled her ears, overloading her senses, and she took in an unsteady breath, her eyes squeezing shut as her voice broke. “Kick the Archon’s ass for me, Ryder. You’re – You’re one hell of a leader."

"I'm so proud of you." A sob ripped through her words, taking over as she recoiled. "And it’s been an honor to serve –“

* * *

  
“Dunn?!”

Static chirped in a residual pattern, over and over, until it broke free into destruction ripping apart; _Crash, crash, crash,_ sparks screeching and nails dragging down a chalkboard, making a rush of nausea lace through her body before it sharply faded down into pure silence, a pin dropping, and her heart fell. A rush of air left her, her lips trembling, her voice cracking. “Dunn?!”

No answer came.

She felt sick.

“Dunn?!” Breaths came in unsteady, her icy blue eyes wide and a hand roughly digging into her scalp as she took a step forward and all else became muted, faded, the surroundings hazy as her brain hyper-focused for a sign of anything, something, _please; You can't do this to me, Dunn -_  Her voice ripped through the quiet air as she nearly screamed her words, tears blurring her vision –

“Dunn!" Her foot stomped, frustration overwhelming her. "This is a _fucking_ order - Answer me right fucking now, _holy fucking shit_!”

“Darling one,” the deep, gentle rumble of his voice - familiar, lovely, sweet - broke her out of her sheer panic. Nails roughly gripped her tightly-wound braids, catching on loose coils and ripping them out as she glanced back at him. His hand met her shoulder, soft; Their gazes caught and a tear rolled down her cheek, nostrils slightly flaring as cold gripped her heart at the moment shared between them. She nearly lost herself as more fell. “It’s okay -“

“No.” Kylie shook her head, words heavy, and wiped away more tears threatening to spill out as she took a step back from him. A shaky, pained breath left her and she sniffled. “No, it’s not fucking ‘okay’.” Her intermittent steps took her further away from the group, footsteps sounding behind her as she made her way through the room, away from them, away from _this_.

“Ru’shan –“

"No!" Hands balled into fists as her fervently shaking head interrupted him, mouth opening and closing as she uselessly tried to find the words to explain just how fucking _horrible_ she felt. “It’s _not_ okay –“ Frantic words spilled over one another as she turned around and her hands roughly pulled at the bottom of her braids. Teary eyes widened, brows furrowing and her voice cracking. “We’re -"

"We're losing _so many fucking people_ to this insane, fucking – This insane, technology-obsessed motherfucker who wants to turn us all into his minions or some stupid crazy shit!" A sob nearly broke her, her hand sharply rubbing down her face. "It’s like, everywhere I look - Everywhere I look, everyone I love is, is –“

A wide hand grasped hers, bioelectricity tickling at the edges of her skin, a gentle, near-numbing hum, and pulled her crashing right back down into reality. “Darling one,” it finally broke her as she looked back at him, features contorting in grief at the sadness swirling through his bright eyes for her. His arms wrapped around her and she lost herself in him, finally giving in. “It’s okay.”

“I’m so tired,” a crack in her voice ripped his heart in half, her chest heaving with a sob. “I’m – I’m so fucking tired, Jaal.”

“I know," the softest kiss pressed against her head only made her fall apart even more, sharp, harsh breaths leaving her as her face buried in his chest. Nails dug into his rofjinn as she tried to bring herself down, compose herself; She focused on the softest hint of him, spices and perfume mixed together, and it gradually relaxed her. "We must go on, my love. We can do this. Dunn did not sacrifice herself for us to give up _now_.”

 _“Kylie,”_ Suvi’s voice started softly, gently, their bodies tensing and her grip on him tightening, nails digging in through gloves. _“I can detect that the cryo pods are intact. She brought the Hyperion down in one piece with minimal to hardly any damage, but…”_ A pause that made her want to scratch her eyes out, her breath hitching. _“There’s no signal from the bridge.”_

Her heart sank.

Shaky lips pressed together, a sharp breath leaving her. She stepped away from him, frustration balling up inside of her chest and weighing down on her, crushing her alive, before the tension overwhelmed her and, with a loud cry, a trembling fist slammed into the glowing platform beside them. Her knuckles recoiled away from the metal, blood dotting across and staining her gloves in an unsteady pattern, and she ripped her gun out of its holster.

“Janelle,” Alec started, reaching for her shoulder as she took a step forward.

“Stop,” Kylie sharply shrugged him off as she continued, her nails scratching a jagged line across her cheek as she brushed her black baby hairs behind her ear and roughly rubbed at her tear-filled eyes. “And it's Kylie, not Janelle - Leave me the fuck alone.”

“Janelle –“

“Fuck off!" The yell from her made him recoil, harshly echoing and dancing around in a residual pattern. "Leave me the fuck alone, jackass!"

"Kylie -"

"Everyone hear me?” Her irritated sigh interrupted him and chirped into their comms as she stopped short of the closed doors ahead of them. A tense in her shoulders made her wince, a slight glance spared over her shoulder to glare at her father, eyes narrowed, brows furrowed, and the briefest hint of anger flickered in her bright eyes. It almost was a challenge directed at him. “That landing just made our stake in Meridian permanent.”

Alec loudly scoffed, rolling his eyes at her indignance. He caught the krogan’s gaze as he glanced away from her, deep-set and infuriated, and a slight shiver raced up his spine. He swallowed thickly.

“Dunn brought us home.” A slight tremble in her voice and a familiar hand gently resting on her shoulder, scaly and calloused, Drack, made her hesitate. Her shaky hand rose as her omnitool lit up, a soft breath leaving her. "Our captain gave her life for us to live, for our sleepers to wake up to our new home." She looked up, her gaze slowly trailing from one of her crew to the other before finally landing on James’, their twin eyes meeting, and she almost lost her cracked composure. “And it’s up to us to keep it.”

 _“Damn right,”_ Kandros added in, the softest hint of sadness just behind his voice that made her want to scream, to rip her hair out and dig into herself, over and over and over - _“No arguing with that.”_

 _“Take that straight to the Archon, Ryder.”_ Hayjer’s voice almost hesitated. She let out a shaky sigh. _“Take out your anger on him.”_ A pause, his voice falling so gentle, so sweet, as he continued. “ _I’m... I'm truly sorry. I know how much Dunn meant to you, and I know that you two were very close. I offer my deepest -”_

“Please stop,” her voice broke and she sniffled, wiping the back of her hand across her eyes as hydraulics hissed, almost overwhelming her, and the doors slid open. She cleared her throat as she walked through them, smoothing her braids down. “I – I don’t want to talk about this right now. I can’t break down now, Hayjer.”

_“Ryder…”_

“Emotions are good, ru’shan.” Drack’s hand met her lower back and she looked away, shaking her head as she quickly blinked away her tears with another sniffle. “They are and you _know_ I’m right. It means you got a soul, a heart.” His hand grasped hers as they paused, the tip of his finger poking her chest piece before it squeezed into an angry fist. “Take that anger and that sadness that you feel and take it out on _that_ fucking bastard.”

Kylie numbly nodded, her feet moving before she could process it. They led her to fall into step with her brother, their shoulders bumping against each other, and her eyes slowly trailed over to take him in. He looked just as shitty as she felt – His bright eyes lost their usual mischievous luster, a sadness hanging over him and weighing him down with each step.

James glanced over at her and she faltered. Her lips slightly parted, words unable to leave her and –

 _“Do these kett not know how committed we are?”_ Hayjer interrupted her, her senses rushing back in as gunfire sparked across the room and her eyes widened. Kett. Shit, right - Kett. They're fighting kett.  _“Can they not understand their own misfortune right now? We aren’t letting up on them, and neither are you.”_

“Do not need to tell me twice!” Liam yelled out, his hand clapping her shoulder as he darted by them before they crouched down into cover behind a glowing platform. An explosive eruption of a frag-grenade ahead was interrupted by him, calling out. “Raise hell, Lala! We ain’t giving up, not fuckin' now, and not fuckin' ever!”

“Damn right!” Drack’s booming voice screamed from across the room, his head slamming into a kett’s forehead and cracking his nose in half as he twisted the gun right out of the alien's hands. A grin curled the corners of his lips.

Her gun nearly trembled in her hand for the first time in ages – Exhausted pulled at the edges of her vision, the slightest twinge of black staining in uneven washes and blurring her surroundings, a surreal feeling washing over her. A sharp pulse behind her brain made her recoil, her eyes squeezing shut as a soft whimper escaped her before she could help it.

 _It_ felt wrong.

 _Something_ felt wrong.

“Kay?” The worry in James' voice made her falter, eyes shooting open. “Are you okay?”

“I - I don’t know.” A shaky breath left her, her eyes hyper-focusing through the scope of her sniper rifle. She watched the kett buster around, gunshots whirring by as voracious battle cries echoed around them, in an attempt to settle the off-feeling hanging in her brain like a rock. Her shoulders tensed as the gun lowered and she looked over at him, her brows furrowing as worry rushed down her body. “I feel like - I feel like something's… Wrong.”

James fell to his knees, concern dancing in his bright eyes as his hand reached out to gently touch her forehead. “Well,” he started so softly, his voice hesitating as his hand lightly brushed her baby hairs out of her face before cradling her jaw. “You don’t feel hot to me. I mean, you're sweaty, yeah – But, not like sick-hot.”

“Maybe it’s just from me interacting with the consoles without Sam,” Kylie's voice felt heavy as she scratched at her chin, pulling her gun back up. Something constricted, squeezed her throat, a bubble bobbing back and forth, briefly stopping her from breathing and making her gag as minute panic washed over her. She heaved, choking on her own spit as her hand gripped the platform and she sank to her knees. “I - I don’t know. I feel like I’m about to have an anxiety attack?”

“Do you need to relax for a second? Sit down, Kay.” Their eyes met and hers rolled back, her body sharply falling limp. “Wh- Kay?!”

“Darling one!” Jaal’s eyes widened as he watched her collapse and he moved without thinking; His hand met her lower back as he fell to his knees, gently guiding her limp body down to the floor and sitting on his knees. Panic pulled, tugged at his deep voice, an unsteady, sharp breath leaving him. “Darling one?!”

The surroundings around her grew hazy, quiet; Bioelectricity hummed at her lower back until it took her over, her body relaxing. Muted voices fell over one another, pulsing back and forth and swirling around her brain, dancing around in an eerie melody, a strange pattern, that made her feel numb. Splotches of mixed colors speckled her fluttering vision, darkness creeping up at the edges and static ringing in her ears; A fever dream.

 _“Baby girl? Oh, my God. Kylie, please -”_ A frantic voice broke through the incoherent jumble, black blobs moving about as fear grasped ahold of the familiar voice in a near-death grip. _“Baby girl, can you hear my voice?! Listen to me! You need to listen to me - You have to resist him!”_

Resist him? Resist who? What?

Another voice chimed in, bouncing off the walls and spinning around like a wave through her brain; The viscosity of this voice made her feel sick, her stomach tensing and her throat squeezing as the back and forth filter of their voices fought to be heard. If she focused hard enough, she could almost put her finger on who that voice belonged to, just subtle, just barely there –

The Archon.

Her stomach sank.

_“Resistance is futile, human. When I am finished with this, I –”_

_“No! You aren't going to touch her!”_

_“I’m not physically touching her, imbecile. I’m connecting with her on a more spiritual level that you will not be able to understand; Her purpose within what I am doing is something you will **never** be able to understand! Her implant, compared to yours, is what I need the most - Yours is merely fodder.”_

_“No, it's not! I’m what you want – I have the same SAM implant as her, the same connections and everything! Take me and leave her alone, you fucking monster – I’m already here! Leave my baby girl alone -”_

_“Why would I do that when I can use someone like her to my advantage? You’re useless. I’ve watched her fight. An alien as strong as she is - Her biotics would be a useful asset for me and my cause. Why I need her is on a higher level than your understanding can handle and I will not argue with this **thing** any longer.”_

A familiar voice broke through, the loudest in her head. It pulled from the back of her brain, hard and painful, and the monotonous tone tugged at her heart strings. _“Janelle, I am doing my best to hardwire her connection to a different channel than ours. He will not be able to connect to her so long as I am still functioning; I have done my best with what little access I have to her systems.”_

If she could speak, she would’ve screamed.

_“Good - Good. Thank you, Sam.”_

Sam.

Oh, my God - She misses Sam.

Clarity slowly gave way, darkness fading as faces flooded her vision and the light haloing around her in a sharp, bright white was enough to make her throw up. Voices rushed in, overwhelming her senses; She wheezed as she tried to breath, nearly choking on air as hands grasped her shoulders, steadying her when she tried to sit up. A gross gasp left her, hands reaching for purchase on anything, as she curled over -

“What just happened?!” The desperation in James' voice made her _wish_ that she could throw up. Hands gently cradled her jaw as she sat back and she recoiled from the touch, her head shaking. It burned - His touch burned, everything burned; Icy, unfocused eyes squeezed shut and she pushed him away, swaying as her armored knee skidded across the metal tiles and she unsteadily stood. “Kay?”

“D-Don’t know, don’t –“ Kylie’s voice wavered, a tremble low in her body. It was hard to speak, her breathing labored and her chest nearly crushing under an unknown weight. She felt wrong, off; Words were difficult to form, something strange tugging behind her eyes and making her light-headed the longer it stayed. “Don’t know. Okay – I’m okay.”

“The fuck you are, ru’shan!" Drack stopped her before she could move, holding her still. Their eyes met and the fear dancing through his made her heart sink. "I just watched your ass collapse and fucking spasm like there was no fucking tomorrow! Don't know what the fuck happened, but you’re sitting down and taking a minute for a breather, got it?”

“No,” her words came out mumbled, muted, distressed. A hand met her shoulder as she stepped away from the krogan and she shuddered away from the touch, her wide, nearly-unfocused eyes meeting Reyes' honeyed ones behind her. “’m fine. I’m fine. I'm fine. Please, I'm fine - We need to go.”

James' bright, icy blue eyes met deep, chocolate ones, shared fear and worry intermingling, and a soft breath left him as his shoulders fell. He numbly nodded in defeat. “Yeah,” his grip tightened on his gun as he warily fell into step after her. Liam's hand met his waist and he swallowed thickly. “Let’s go, Kay. I’m with you.”

* * *

  
The sight of the Remnant console made the worst, gut-wrenching nausea pool deep within her stomach; Dread filled her legs as one step after the other brought her closer, closer, _closer_ , and suddenly, she found it hard to breathe, to think, to focus on anything other than its glowing body. 

A tremble settled low, deep, frantic within her hand as it slowly moved out. Her eyes unfocused as her jaw tensed, locked, and she readied herself for the electricity to crackle and spark against her implant, to unravel a pain so intense within her that she was sure she would pass out as soon as it touched her, as soon as it barely skims the tips of her fingers -

James’ hand grasped her wrist, sharply pulling it away as orange electrodes chased after her fingertips and the catch of her breath at his touch burned her throat. “Kay,” he covered her gloved hand with his, protecting it from the sparks. They fought against his hand, over and over, before giving up and retreating back into the console; His brows furrowed as he met her gaze, worry dancing in his eyes.  “Let me do this one – You’re starting to look like shit. It’s worrying.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’ve said that fifteen times now and I _still_ don’t believe you.”

Her gaze abruptly fell when voices chimed out in agreement behind them, unable to look at him; His fingers laced with hers, giving it the softest squeeze, before it slowly fell, one finger after the other, and he ran his hand down the back of her twin braids. A shaky sigh left him as he solemnly approached the console, staring down at it as hesitation bit at him and he held his hand out -

“Hold up!” Liam’s voice came out way too quick, desperation breaking it and a huff escaping him as he grasped the man’s shoulders, fervently shaking his head as he yanked him away. Their eyes met and his shot wide open. “JJ, you – I - Are you kidding me right now"shit?! You haven’t done this before, like ever! Lala has – She – You – I don’t –“

“I’ll be fine.”

“What if you’re not?!”

No answer came.

A soft breath left the raven, a hand ghosting down his locked hair as he held his gaze for a moment longer and a shiver ran down his spine. His head slightly shook in disbelief, stubborn grasping ahold of him. “I _have_ to do this. Let me do this, Liam.” A pause, his gaze lowering before flickering back up. "Kay's not in any condition to do this again."

Tears pricked the corner of his deep-brown eyes and blurred his vision. He shakily sighed, his jaw tensing and his nostrils flaring as he looked down and away from him, his mind racing. A hand rubbed at the back of his neck, slowly giving way to irritated itching before he swallowed thickly and sharply shrugged. “Fine.”

James’ hands rubbed down his face, his breath hitching as he stared down at the eerily glowing console; A moment of hesitation grasped ahold of him, his hand flexing, relaxing, flexing, relaxing over and over; He could do this. He can do this. No - He _has_ to do this.

For her.

Fear intermingled down his spine, winding around his body and holding him stock-still as he reached out – Orange sparked, lights flickering on and off in an unsteady wave as the electrodes burst out and met his fingertips. Icy blue eyes bulged, his teeth grinding down as electricity wound around his arm and danced up his shoulder, stopping just short of his temple and flickering into his implant.

Liam’s stomach flipped at the noise he made – Sharp, gross, and jagged; A scream that made him want to curl up and hide, bile biting at the back of his throat as he watched his boyfriend nearly writhe in pain against the console, nails roughly digging into armor and nearly breaking, before he couldn't stomach it anymore. He looked away, his throat feeling full.

His heart broke.

Kylie couldn’t bring herself to watch.

The console gave in with a swift rush, keys pressing down and folding flat as lights flickered down its length and followed the technology humming low in the floor. Hydraulics boomed, echoed through the chasm, hissing as the doors parted and revealed the eerily-lighted, vastly empty room ahead, save for the gravity well swirling about in the center in a flash of bright, near-neon color.

His knees nearly gave out; A screech jolted through the air as his armored knee scratched the length of the console and hands reached for desperate purchase on cold metal that seeped through his gloves to steady himself before he could fully collapse. Weak - He felt weak, energy drained from his body and a deep ache settling within the center of his brain, his breathing heavy.

Alec was the first to move. His body sprang into action before he could think twice, feet rushing and arms reaching to catch him as he nearly melted to the floor. “It’s okay,” a crack in his voice made his skin crawl, metal hitting metal sounding as his arms curled under his shoulders in a tight grip to hold him up. “Relax, James.”

“Babe,” the steady sound of fear in Liam’s voice made him want to cry; Their bodies relaxed against the console, his father's back pressed against the effervescent metal and his son's body resting against his armored chest as the brunette crouched down in front of them. Hands cradled his slightly stubbly jaw, catching his fluttering gaze. “It’s okay. You need to breathe.”

Kylie’s body froze, tensed up when she tried to run to him – Her eyes widened as their voices fell abruptly mute, the horizon blurring and melting together as splotches of darkness filled her vision and melted; A flash, a glimpse of events rushing after each other flooded her senses, dulling all else as she watched them flicker by and voices swirled around –

_“Resist him, baby girl! He's trying to, to -” Frantic pleas stumbled out, one after the other, as she struggled against her restraints and shook her head; Janelle looked straight at her, green eyes wide in terror, and she froze. The sight of her bruised and bloodied face nearly broke her. “You need to resist him! You **have** to resist him!”_

_“Stop trying to help her!” A fist wound in her shirt’s collar, roughly shoving her against the back of her seat and slamming her head against the headrest. Soft features set in determination against his mean touch, a snarl curling wide lips as their gazes met and the tension between them seethed, ignited like a flame. “You’re **mine** , and you will do as I say!”_

_“No, I'm not!" The malice in her voice sent a shiver down her spine. "And you can go fuck yourself -”_

“Darling one?”

A sharp breath left her as she quickly looked up at the soft, deep voice, her hand meeting the angara’s shoulder. The sight of him was blurry at first, blobs of purple, pink, and blue mingling together before it gradually sharpened, giving way to reveal him staring down at her. Her eyes widened and her jaw tensed as she met his gaze, her heart sinking - The worry in his eyes made her feel numb. “Jaal?”

“Is everything okay? You seemed as if you had… Zoned out, I suppose.” His hands gently carded down her twin braids, brows slowly furrowing as they followed the length of her hair before trailing down to cradle her jaw. Electric thumbs lightly skimmed over her high cheekbones, bright eyes taking her in as his tone grew gentle, low, only for her to hear. “Are you alright, my love? You know you can tell me anything.”

“I – I –“ Words didn’t want to leave her; She has no idea what the _fuck_ is going on with her, these _visions,_ these _voices,_ and these  _sounds_ that keep flickering through her fucking mind like a nightmare, nearly taking control of her and seizing up her body like she was some fucking puppet, moving around on a string and –

“Yes.” Her voice gritted out through clenched teeth. A hand warily flexed, fingers curling and uncurling as she stared down at it before his fell over hers. She didn’t feel like herself; It felt like she was watching herself from above, an out of body experience. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Icy blue eyes flickered over to watch as James slowly, unsteadily stood with the help of her father and his boyfriend, her heart skipping before it abruptly stopped. “Jay?!” Worry hit her hard, urgency making her try to run - Only, her body seized up, frozen in place. Her brows furrowed, hands tensing by her sides as she glanced down at her unmoving, armored legs and –

Her body was fighting against her.

Sheer terror overwhelmed her – Her leg twitched, a scream bubbling in her throat and threatening to burst free as it didn’t move, scared eyes widening. A skip in her heart was followed by frantic pounding, an ache running deep and her body trembling uncontrollably. Another twitch, pins and needles numbing her body and she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think; Please move, please move, _please_ , _what the fuck, what the fuck_ -

A warm hand met her lower back and her entire body relaxed, nearly melting in her spot as it brought her crashing back down to reality. Her legs tensed as she stumbled forward a step, a soreness settling deep within her and sparking the slightest hint of concern, minute fear, blossoming in her chest. Shit. What’s - What the fuck is going on?

“Hermana?” Reyes’ voice was soft, gentle, worry bright in his eyes. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I – I guess I have, I don’t know.” Kylie finally looked up at him, her eyes wide and her breathing heavy. “I - I - I don’t know what’s going on right now, but I don’t feel like myself. I feel really off after…” Frustration hit her and she irritably rubbed at her face, swallowing thickly as she looked away. “After - Shit, I don’t even know.”

“’I don’t know’ is okay - I'd say it's downright good, even.” The krogan’s deep voice made her relax in her place even more, the final bit of tension releasing and melting away from her body. A bubble nearly burst in her throat as she looked over at him. “Don't worry too much. You’ll figure it out, give it some time. Want a ride to the gravity shit? You look like you need it.”

Bloodshot eyes met his, the softest flash of gratitude dancing through them, before she numbly nodded and her shoulders fell. Drack turned around and bent down, grasping under her knees as Reyes helped her hop up and her arms wrapped around his armored carapace. A soft sigh left her, her chin perched atop his head as icy eyes slowly fluttered shut. “I’m fucking tired.”

“I know.”

The softest touch against her shoulder made her turn her head, her cheek resting against the curve of the krogan’s armor as she caught the sight of Jaal walking beside them. She warily smiled, her eyes falling shut as her hand reached out to meet his. “Hey, bub.”

“You’re worrying me.”

Icy blue eyes slowly opened and her heart sharply dropped; The look dancing in his eyes made her stomach flip, sink. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to be sorry, my love – I’m just…” Bright eyes flickered down to stare at his feet as he took in a soft breath; His hand grasped hers and their fingers lightly laced, the gravity well inching closer with every step that they took. “I... I don’t know, as you would say. You've been acting very strangely lately - It's scaring me.”

"I know."

Air whipped and moved around them in a sharp dance as they approached the brim of the straight-down chasm brightly lit by effervescent runes and etchings, blowing her braids around her head as the krogan carefully sat her down. A hand met her back to steady it and she took in a deep breath, eyes peering over the black-lined rim. Her stomach dropped.

Liam hummed in thought as he glanced down, gravity swirling around them in bright, blue streaks and a deep, low rumble chiming under their feet in an unsteady rhythm. He looked at her, his brows furrowed. “How far can we go in before we’re heading out?”

Kylie glanced over at him, a tired brow quirking up as her foot reached out to hover over the sharp drop down. “Halfway?”

“Yep.” James nodded, an arm wrapping around her waist before they swung their free arms once, twice, and jumped over the edge.

“Yikes." A scoff left Liam, his lips pursing. He glanced over at the angara, a cheeky grin dancing across his face. "I asked for that, didn't I?” The mildly irritated look on the angara's face, a brow raised and his eyes narrowed, made him burst into pure, snorty laughter; The sound abruptly faded as he launched himself over the rim of the well and followed them down, coiled hair whipping around his head in a flash of brown.

Jaal loudly groaned, his fingers irritably rubbing at his temples as he took a step over and disappeared. The krogan burst into absolute, haughty snorts as he threw himself over and Reyes softly chuckled, shaking his head and rolling his eyes before disappearing into the well.

Alec didn’t look nearly as amused, his dark brows furrowed and his arms folded over his chest as he watched the group below slowly fall further away from him. Their laughter flickered through the chasm and bounced off of its metal walls, making his heart tug and feel strange - It was a sound he's missed, he's come to realize. With a sigh, he rolled his eyes and jumped down after them.

“Yeah,” a giggle broke through her words as a break in walls briefly gave way to reveal an endless array of technology-laced pyramids and deep, eerily-glowing, dark oceans winding around the structures in an endless current; Her words slowly faltered before they faded in absolute wonder, awe-struck. “You really... Did...”

A soft rush of air left her, breathless, as she took the glimpse between walls in. Dark bridge upon bridge intertwined and twisted high up from the water, long platforms glowing with unintelligible carvings etched down their obsidian bodies; Tiles changed, switching around and flickering to different colors with a soft, echoing creak resonating through the chasm. “Wow.”

 _“Do it! Secure the adaption matrix!”_ A familiar, deep, and looming voice sparked and boomed through their comms, loud and commanding. It sent a wave of a chill rolling down her spine as technology-twined walls covered the view of the endless array of glowing pyramids and their feet slowly met the effervescent ground. A slight hum ran through their feet.

“The Archon?” Liam’s brows furrowed, stumbling on a step before he fell in line with the twins and their make-shift crew followed after them through the sparsely-lit chamber. His hand hesitated on his gun's holster. “How’s he still on our channel? I don't get it.”

“Mom.” Her eyes slowly widened, realization dawning on her and making the air feel heavy as she looked over at her brother. His eyes narrowed, dark brows furrowing. “He’s in Mom’s head, in her implant – We’re… Still connected in some weird way despite Sam not being active, I guess. I could understand just me and Jay hearing him because our implants are different, but you guys do, too?”

"Yeah."

A pause in her steps made the angaran man behind her crash right into her with a grunt, her finger pointing ahead to unmoving Remnant as his brows furrowed, lips pursed, and tingly hands met her waist. "Wait." The machines slowly turned to face them, flashing the softest, pale-green light before they let out a quiet, gentle chirp in response. “They’re not attacking. What the fuck?”

“It’s Mom,” James said, astounded. “She’s – They’ve got to be pointing us in the right direction, look!” He ran ahead, following the colorful, glowing pattern of their robotic bodies. It led them across the bridge, right to another dark, horizontal platform with towering, immensely intricate doors on each end. A bot stood to the right, flashing near-frantic green. He looked back at her, gesturing for her to follow. “Come on! They want us to go through these doors.”

“Yeah, no. That can’t be the Archon,” Kylie scoffed as her hand met Jaal’s, their fingers lacing as they followed after her brother's trail. Her eyes took in the slight glimpse, the slight break between buildings ahead, the sight of glowing pyramids and galaxy-like water making her heart skip. It doesn't feel real. This entire place didn't feel real. “It has to be Mom doing this.”

Hydraulics hissed behind them as the last person walked across the bridge, catching her attention. Her brows furrowed as she glanced back, watching as the doors behind them shut, locked; Wide eyes flickered over to catch the mute confusion on the brunette’s face beside her, shared intrigue.

“Did y’all see that just now?” Liam almost whispered his words, chocolate eyes wide as his hand grasped her shoulder. “The doors literally just closed behind us.” He shook his head, running a hand through his coiled hair as a disbelieving, haughty grin briefly curled the corners of his full lips. “This is - This is fucking wild.”

“That’s my Janey for you,” the near-affection in Alec’s voice made her skin crawl; A heave rolled through her and her eyes squeezed shut. She shook her head in pure disbelief.

“She’s not _your_  'Janey' anymore,” Kylie nearly hissed, venom lacing her voice as she sharply looked over her shoulder at her father. The hand laced with hers tightened and she swallowed thickly, anger tugging at the edges of her tired voice. “You lost that privilege over a thousand fucking years ago. And I would prefer if you not _ever_ refer to her as that _ever_ again -”

Reyes sighed as he caught the look in the man’s eyes, a bright fire lighting up his deep, icy blue eyes as he took a step towards her, and the tawny man cleared his throat. Loudly. They froze in place and he ran his hand through his jet-black hair. “Sorry for interrupting your whole daddy-daughter fight, but I do believe that we have more pressing matters to deal with. Does the Archon really have that kind of control already?”

“Who else would it be?” James said, tightening the hair-tie around his locked hair. “Mom’s opening the right ones and he’s trying to stop her.”

A voice pulled at the edges of her hearing, mute, but there, barely there –

_“Resistance is futile.”_

Cold ran up her spine and her jaw tensed, teeth grinding down as her nostrils flared and her steps sparked suddenly, quick. Anxiety sparked at the back of her mind, sitting there like an incessant rodent and digging away at her until it was all she could feel. Her feet moved without thought, without guidance, following the endless line of Remnant until darkness washed over her.

Lights gradually flickered on from the sides of the tunnel, rune-like scriptures changing from one to another and the familiar twinge of holographic lines ran down the walls, stuttering. Strange formations flickered across obsidian-laced walls, sharply casting a ray of light before it fell, sputtered dark, over and over in an endless pattern.

Silence fell among them. Their steps led them through the shadowed chasm, following the slightest curve of a ramp that led them to a set of open doors; She was ready to burst through, steps nearly breaking into a sprint, until red vividly flashed through the room and hydraulics hissed as the walls shut in her face. Hands balled into angry fists, lips pressing together to muffle a frustrated scream; A sharp turn on her heel led her to follow the curve of the triangular, glowing chasm in the floor.

Across the distance stood another bot through open doors, brightly chirping green as it urgently hovered from one side to the other. Her heart skipped, catching the slightest hint of glowing water ahead through the break - This is it; They're getting closer, she could almost feel it.

“More doors…” Kylie took in an unsteady breath as they followed the flickering trail of pale green, her hand trailing over an effervescent rune etched into the wall as she passed by. “Maybe Mom’s found another way to help?”

“Maybe –“

 _“Prepare to repeat the cortical stimulus.”_ The Archon’s voice sent a sharp shiver rushing down her body, nearly taking her breath from her; The doors ahead of them briskly hissed shut as her hand reached out, closing against her touch and flickering an incessant red - She was ready to scream her lungs out.

 _“Get out of my head!”_ Janelle’s pained voice gritted through clenched teeth and ripped through their implants, loud and clear as it broke into a scream; Anger boiled, coursed through her veins, hands clenching into fists as she quickly turned the corner and ran down the endless corridor, fast, fast. Panic, urgency bit at the edges, pulling and pulling until it was all she could focus on; Her mother's screams, the distress, the agony in her voice -

She could feel her brother seethe behind her, malice hanging like a cloud.

_“You are irrelevant – Any use in fighting against me is useless. I will use your connection and discard of you when I am done!”_

A gasp sounded, grossly broken, something hitting solid metal, before it was broken by an abrupt scream. Shuffling fabric muffled the intensity of it, thrashing and panic mingling together in an ungodly cacophony, and the noise suddenly stopped, dropped. The corridor felt all too heavy, quiet - Deafening silence hung in the air, nearly tangible, wading around.

Her frustrated yell broke the silence, cracked by an armored fist screeching as it slammed into metal. “Goddamnit!”

“Ru’shan -”

“We can’t stop now, not after Dunn.” Words rushed over one another; Hands tensed at her sides as they balled into fists and she briskly ran for the open doors, the flashing green irritating her down to her core as she begged for them not to close. Please, fucking, please - Let something go right for once in her _fucking_ life; Her shoulders tensed, teeth grinding down. “Not after everything she's done for us.”

“Not like we can turn back, I guess.” Drack sighed. Their steps faltered as she paused, her eyes wide as she stared ahead at the ethereal platform; In the center stood the gravity well in a bright wash of white light, smoke flowing about and fogging the area just below the steps, obscuring the sharp drop just one wrong step down. Drack's hand met her lower back. “Let’s go.”

Triangular doors parted to yank her through horizontally as her hand met the swirling ball, her icy blue eyes widening in a mix of shock and pure awe; Electricity crackled and danced through the air, spurts of orange hinting at the edges of technology-laced architecture that seemed endless, like pyramids. Oceans flowed between the structures, the slightest hint of pathways forged between structures and a few disappearing as water lapped over the ancient stones.

Smoke pillowed ahead, slightly obscuring the massive, intricate tower as their bodies inched closer and closer to it. Wide, endless bridges led out from it, ancient and ornate in its own way; Rocks and debris pulled from a structure atop the bizarre tower, energy flowing back and forth in thick bands as mechanical litter circled around it. “Holy fuck,” a breath left her, her head shaking in pure disbelief as a soft scoff broke her words. “This is amazing.”

Energy beams flowed in endless streams, sparking up across the distance and brightening the dark horizon of the near-infinite chasm. Runes flickered alive and cast incoherent shadows over the dark walls and shadowed oceans, broadcasting strange messages that danced across the pyramids as they moved around and switched places in a never-ending rhythm.

“If I’d known, I’d have worked even harder.” Wonder filled Liam's voice as his foot reached out and tapped hers, catching her attention. She glanced over her shoulder to catch his soft features bathed by pure, unabashed awe. “Ten times harder! A million times harder! This place is fucking amazing and _we’re_ amazing.”

“I’ve been everywhere, killed alotta things.” Drack slowly started as the gravity lowered them to a dip in the metallic floor, glancing around to take in his surroundings as a hum rumbled low in his chest. His voice fell so soft, so gentle; A strange undertone grasped ahold of his rough voice, blurring the edges into a feeling he wasn't sure he knew. “But I’ve never seen anything like _this_.”

“We can’t let the Archon take this,” an unsteady breath left her as icy, narrowed eyes met Remnant ahead and her hand came to rest over her gun’s holster. A stalemate fell between the two of them, icy blue eyes meeting pure black. “Touch down, and straight ahead. Do you guys think it’s Meridian control? 'Cause I sure as hell do.”

A pause, long and drawn out, hung in the air before gentle green flashed across their small, robotic chests to indicate peace. She nodded, her body relaxing as her hand fell from the holster and she began to walk by them, cautious. “It’s been a long time coming.”

“Eh,” Drack chuckled, his hand clipping her shoulder. “I’ve seen longer.”

“Shush, Dad.” Kylie rolled her eyes as her brother and the angara fell into step beside her, their hands lacing with hers as she paused. Her heart skipped. A brow quirked up as she looked from one smiling face to the other, a hand meeting her waist catching her attention to reveal a brightly grinning brunette behind her. “Ready?”

“Born ready, Lala!” Liam glanced over at the tawny man beside him, his signature smirk dancing across his face, and back to her father lingering behind them. Alec swallowed thickly, numbly nodding his head as his folded arms relaxed from over his chest, and he looked back at her with so excitement coursing through his dark eyes that it was nearly contagious. “Let’s go!”

Armored footsteps echoed and clinked through the air as they ran down the bridge, laughter flittering around them behind the electricity crackling through the air. A squeeze in her hands, a skip in her heart, and her smile faltered. Her heart was beating so fast that she could barely breathe, a strange feeling pooling in her stomach as they grew closer to the doors.

Something felt wrong.

The voice nearly stopped her, her stomach dropping as they ran through the doors –

_“The connection is ready – I feel it.”_

Unsteady blue gave way to red, bathing over their features in a wash of brilliant color as hands fell and reached for their holstered guns. Walls slowly fell to reveal crackling, red-hot energy, sparking around the thin bridge in a flurry while thick, heavy, and dense fog filled the outskirts of the air; One footstep after the other, her heart quickening with each, and –

“It arrives!” A booming, near-mocking voice startled her; Her eyes snapped straight ahead to a set of Remnant pillars, piled on top of one another to form a twisting staircase to an almost blinding platform below an infinitely-moving contraption; Icy eyes followed their trail until they met twisted green ones, beady and malicious, before trailing over to catch a tired, exhausted, dark-green gaze. Her heart ached. “This attempt to rival me is no longer amusing, Pathfinder.”

“Kylie!” The fear in Janelle’s voice was unreal, sending a rush of urgency coursing through her body. Bloodshot eyes snapped wide open as she fought against her restraints, the chair screeching against the floor as it skid forward. Kett machinery flew around her, hissing and chiming as bright lights flickered incessantly over her body, alarms booming and red bathing over her dark features. Spit splattered as she yelled out. “You have to leave – You - You can’t be here! He’s trying - He's trying to -”

“It’s useless to warn her.”

A chill ran down her spine, the grip on her gun tightening tenfold on its own accord. Kylie took a step forward, only for her feet to firmly cement to the ground and her body to seize up, tense. Her heart stopped, throat constricting as a cold realization settled in her bones and panic threatened to swallow her alive, blood leaving her head -

She couldn't move. “What?”

“So determined,” the Archon started, taking an aimless step forward as he watched her struggle, watched her _fight_  against her own body. Her crew started to flood around her, voices overlapping as her wide eyes frantically looked from one to the other, a tremor uncontrollable in her body - An effortless twist of his finger made her gun point to her brother, icy eyes constricted with terror. “But, ultimately, pointless.”

“James,” her voice wavered as their eyes met, broken, horrified – A bubble burst in her throat and her words trembled, a whisper. “I can’t move.”

_“Your connection serves me.”_

Something clicked in her as his viscous, disgusting voice swirled through her mind - A sharp stab in her brain made her cry out in pure agony, her surroundings melting into hazy globs, near-streaks of muted color. Eyes tightly squeezed shut as she ground down a gasp and her finger pulled the trigger on its own whim, a gunshot firing at his head.

Her heart stopped.

James jumped back, rolling away from her with wide eyes. Nausea washed over her, excruciating pain pulling in the back of her head and making her screech, features contorting in anguish as she tried to _fight, fight, please, please, oh, my God_ ; Legs moved without her control, running towards him as her biotics painfully crackled around her in unsteady spurts of endless energy, exhaustion flickering back and forth in her brain. 

The helplessness, the pain she felt was _unreal,_ horrifying, as she watched her own body throw a lighting-filled fist at her own brother, her _best friend_ , the person that's stuck with her through her own _fucking hell,_  and a horrid gasp ran through her, broken; She couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop it, she couldn't stop it, she couldn't stop it,  _she couldn't stop herself -_  

A rush of electric biotics slammed down into the ground near his body, sending him flying through the air. Sobs wracked her body, sheer panic overwhelming her and her breathing fast, heavy, quick - Gross heaves punctuated it, sharp, and her mind raced with thoughts she couldn't control; His body crumpled against a pillar, falling limp, and she couldn’t breathe, couldn't think, her heart breaking in half as her body crossed the distance to fall on top of him -

_“I know how it works.”_

"Kay - Kylie! Kylie?!" Scared, bright blue eyes watched as her legs pinned him down and hands released her gun, clattering to the floor, in favor of ripping her gloves off; Tears hazed her vision, blurring his body into an incoherent mess as he tried to grab her wrists, hold her still, back, away, to no avail. Nails scratched, digging relentlessly into his face as he screamed, pain breaking his voice -

The feel of his skin under her nails, peeling, jagged, made her skin crawl, made her want to rip her nails off. Bile bit at the back of her throat as her head fought against her, shaking, twitching, before a shoulder hiked up and it sharply turned away from him with a roll - She heaved, her stomach emptying itself and burning her mouth as blood stained her fingertips and she _cried;_  His biotics sparked against her, vivid lights erratic before he threw her off of her with a yell. Tears flooded his vision, wavering. "Kylie, stop!"

"I - I c-can't - I can't - I can't stop!" Bloodied hands yanked her shotgun out from its holster as she stood, body tense, nearly spasming as she tried to fight, fight - It snapped over to face the krogan, point blank. Her breathing stopped, dread crushing her chest as his eyes widened, an uncontrollable tremble making her arm viciously shake as her voice grew soft, quiet. "Dad -"

"Dad, p-please," her lips quivered, pleas rushing out from her in broken streams; Another pulse, another stab, and pained panic ate her alive. A sharp pull, a hard yank, and her biotics crackled around her like fire, brilliant and immense, a surge of agony grasping her so tightly, her eyes fluttered. Blood flooded her tear ducts and her hearing flickered, consciousness faltering back and forth, static. "Please, you need to stop me -"

Everything hurt, too much and all at once; Her body couldn't take much more.

Icy-hot tears rolled down her cheeks as his jaw tensed and words left him, utterly speechless, his head slowly shaking.

"Ru'shan, you can't - You can't make me do this to you," a weight crushed his hearts, disbelief pulling at his voice as she charged at him. A sharp breath left him as her body crashed into him, lightning hissing as it cracked the edges, the ti[s of his armor and his body skidded, screeched, back a step. He grabbed her wrists and held her back, voice breaking as he watched her flail against his touch; "Fucking shit, ru'shan!"  
  
"Fight whatever the fuck it is! You're fucking strong, ru'shan! You're a strong ass woman!" Another spark, harder, faster, his eyes nearly rolling back as static filled his hearing, her body frantically fighting against his.A tremble ran through his words, his heart beat erratic; A grunt rumbled under his throat, deep, guttural, as the intensity flared and it made her feel _sick_. "I can't fucking do this to you! You can't fucking ask me to do this to you, kid! Ru'shan - Kylie!"

"I'm so - I'm so sorry - so sorry, I'm so sorry -" Biotics surged around her, her body nearly curling forward as exhaustion overwhelmed and numbed her, blurring her vision and unfocusing her gaze. Her gun shot, one after the other, lights flashing through her vision and splotches disappearing into incoherent blobs. Each shot missed him. Her stomach horribly tensed, blood trickling, oozing down her nose as his body convulsed and she _cried_. "Dad, I'm - I'm - 'm so s-sorry, I'm so -"

Drack bit down a scream, eyes tightly squeezing shut as his head tensed down to the side and his shoulders hiked up, fighting against her - His features contorted in pure grief, acceptance washing over him, and he looked back at her. The look in her eyes chilled him down to his bones, fear and terror intermingling in a gross concoction through pale blue, and his heart fell as he slammed his tough head against hers.

_“The mind is trained to think like the Remnant creators.”_

A bright spark of energy erupted from her body in a brilliant light show as she crumpled to the floor. He followed after her, legs pinning her down and hands grasping her wrists, holding her still, keeping her from moving - Her biotics flared, a horrific scream echoing through the chasm, and threw him off of her. A shaky breath left her as she stood, hard, uneven pants making her chest sharply rise and fall.

Her body stumbled from one side to the other, fatigue hanging low in her bones and crushing her alive as she reached for her gun. Goosebumps ran down her spine as her arm turned, gun pointing to Jaal. Terrified eyes widened as her breath caught and she couldn't breathe, couldn't think, her throat constricting and throbbing as she broke, cracked, choked; 

No.

No, no, no, please, please, oh, my God, no -

_“In this case, painfully.”_

The look in his bright blue eyes, disbelief mixing into shock before melting and bathing his features into pure heartbreak, made her feel sick, ill, ready to give up, to fall down, to off herself like the piece of shit she is; A whimper escaped her before it broke into a gag, a wail, choking on her own spit as tears filled his lovely eyes, his jaw falling slack, and she couldn't go on.

Fear sank her heart, tendrils curled around her body and holding her still as lips trembled, her nostrils flared, disbelief. She wanted to die, to disappear, the thought of hurting him running deep and making her feel a pain so great, she could barely think. Their gazes held, a quiet contest as they waited for her body to move, to act, his hands hesitating before they lifted into the air in peace, and a cry broke her.

A hand moved on its own accord, quickly wiping at her nose, and blood dotted, deeply stained her skin as it pulled away; The familiar tug of exhaustion pulled at the edges of her brain, her vision swimming with each sharp burst against her implant, and darkness began eating away at the edges of her vision.

Her head felt funny, off, weird. Maybe she _would_ die -

Yes. She _wanted_ to die. 

"Jaal," terror-filled, hyper-focused eyes watched, felt, as her finger pulled the trigger and events flashed, moved so quickly she could barely process it. Kylie recoiled, cringed, curled into her mind, her heart ripping in half as it pulled, again - One shot fired after the other at him, her best friend, the love of her life, her  _fiancé_ , his body disappearing in a quick flash of bright blue as she whimpered, losing herself, unable to fight against it any longer; He appeared behind her, hands reaching for her wrists.

"Jaal!" The back of her head slammed against his chin before he could touch her, a sickening crack making her skin crawl. He stumbled back with a sharp intake of breath, pain; She whipped around, a purple spark intertwining up the length of her arms as she rushed towards him and she _sobbed,_ features contorting in grief as strong indecision fall over him, his eyes wide and his breath caught in his chest. "Jaal, I - I can't stop."

_“But I’m content to let you bear that burden.”_

"I'm so - I-I'm so - 'm so s-sorry," a punch followed by the whip of her gun against his head made her feel sick, the sharp snap emitted from his body making her sick to her stomach; Her heart broke as a cold realization washed over her as she watched him - He didn't want to fight, to hurt her. He backed away from her with each swing, desperately trying to grasp her wrists, to keep her away.

Deep blood trickled down the corners of her mouth, running down her nose in a steady, splotchy stream as an ache, deep and heavy, settled in her brain. Her surroundings melted, oozed together, her body fighting against consciousness as it flickered back and forth, over and over and over, and a lightheaded-ness that nearly made her faint slowly washed over her.

Grief danced through his teary eyes as her eyes rolled back, her body twitching as she tried to stop, tried to take control; The sharp light-show flowing around her in unsteady bursts, haloing around her body and bathing her in a wash of bright colors, made his heart skip - Electricity crackled around her and intermingled with the red-hot energy flowing around the bridge, a pulse in her brain enough to send her falling over the edge as her eyes fluttered.

“J-Jaal,” her voice cracked as their eyes met, an infinitesimal moment shared between them as she took in his bruised face breaking her heart, her world crashing, burning. Sorrow ruined her as tears overflowed, rolling down his bright cheeks in quick bursts. Her words became an incoherent mess, apologies stuttering between frantic gasps as her body lunged at him, words broken and fumbling. “Jaal - Jaal, I - I can’t -"

"I can't stop, I - I can’t - I can't stop,” her head fervently shook as he backed away from her, hands that looked like hers reaching for him, after him, grabbing and twisting, until she tackled him to the ground. Pure agony ripped through her as a scream bit at her throat, clawing it raw, her brain fighting against the horrid pull of her implant as she knocked him onto his back and bruised, painful hands balled into fists, raising. She tensed, arms rigid, as she tried to pull them down. “I’m so sorry – I’m so sorry; You need to - You need to stop me -”

“Kylie, my love, please - I - I can't do this to you,” Jaal’s cracking, deep voice sent a rush of anxiety down her spine as he grabbed her fists, holding them away. Sounds flickered in and out, growing high and low, as her body slowly blinked on the edge of consciousness, nearly swaying in her spot atop him. Viscious tears, rushing down her face and softly staining his cheeks below, and it nearly cracked his composure. "You can't ask me to do this to you, I - I can't, my love! I can't..."

"You are _so_ strong, my love. You can do this," her implant felt overheated, a strange warmth pooling in her head as he continued, his words stuttered, strange, words falling foreign; Rough hands grasped his rofjinn’s collar, yanking him up and slamming him against the metallic pillar behind him. Her chest heaved, a sob, as his voice rose, frantic, strained - “You _need_ to fight it!”

“I – I can’t!" A yell made her recoil, eyes squeezing shut as her head fervently shook, curling forward to press her forehead to his, and she unraveled. "I can't - I can't, I can't! I love - I love you so much, I - I can't -”

His heart broke.

"I can't, I - I can't..."

Wide hands grasped hers, stilling her unsteady ramblings as her biotics flared around her and harsh, heavy breaths left her between sudden gross, incoherent sobs. They spun around in a dizzying blur, her head swimming as her gun clattered to the ground in a whirlpool and her back slammed against the cold metal, overwhelming -

A brief flash of stillness, a soft moment of quiet clarity, and she grasped his gun, pressing it against the center of her forehead as his body pinned her against the metal pillar and cold engulfed her, swallowed her alive. Time stopped, stood still, her finger resting over his against the trigger, their eyes meeting as his widened, grief.

He fell apart.

“Jaal -”

Jaal couldn’t breathe, whimpers breaking his voice. His chest heaved, stomach convulsing, as tears blurred his vision and his heart _ached_. A hand cradled her jaw, softly, gently, as he took her in - Terrified, icy eyes made his heart squeeze in the worst way, tears staining invisible lines down her bruised, umber cheeks and scratches made vivid, red lines across her forehead from the krogan's armor; Blood trickled down from her nose, deeply staining the curve of her full lips as it slowly globbed down her chin, and she looked so  _exhausted,_ so  _tired_  -

A whisper, broken, and his stomach dropped, numb.

"Shoot me."


	34. hope

_“Dr. T’Perro,”_ a familiar voice blipping through her comms’ eerily-quiet static startled her; Her heart skipped a beat. The datapad she had been reading slipped out from her grip, fumbling hands reaching to catch it before it could fall from her grasp. The voice continued, eyes narrowing as she strained to listen. _“Can you hear me?”_

“I – What?“ Lexi’s jaw dropped as the familiarity of the voice finally registered in her brain, clicking into place. Shocked eyes widened, disbelief tugging at her features as she sharply looked down at her omnitool. A faint, orange hue flickered across midnight blue - She sounded breathless, almost. “Alec? Is – Is that you? How in the world -”

 _“That doesn’t matter right now. Listen, Janelle is –“_ A sudden, soft breath left him, interrupting his words. She could almost feel him shake his head through their comms. _“Kylie,”_ he corrected, _“is in trouble.”_

“What?” The slightest hitch in her chest burst her into movement; A clatter echoed through the metal walls of the medbay as she threw the datapad down on her desk, promptly standing up. “What’s going on?”

 _“I’m not entirely sure how, but the Archon has managed to tap into her implant.”_ Noises, slightly and lightly muted, echoed behind each of his words – Frantic cries mixed with stuttering screams, familiar voices overlapping in a desperate mess, begs and pleas intertwining; It made her stomach sink. _“He’s taken control of her body.”_

“By the Goddess –“ Hands trailed over her head, eyes slowly searching her desk. The Archon - She fervently shook her head, nails digging into the warm skin at the nape of her neck. A steadying breath made her shoulders square, fingertips falling. “What do you need me to do?”

 _“There should be a maintenance shaft in the Pathfinder’s Quarters.”_ Feet moved before he could even finish speaking. _“I need you to head down there – It should be above the desk behind the starship stand, right in the upper-most left corner of the ceiling. There'll be an off-looking tile, can't miss it. You’ll touch it and it’ll prompt you to enter a passcode. Should be six, four, five, nine.”_

“Alright,” a slight waver in her voice made her clear her throat. Hydraulics hissed, parting the metal doors in a whoosh to reveal the inside of Kylie’s quarters – Messy as it were, clothing scattered and wadded-up balls of paper littering the wooden floor, she merely shook her head and headed for her desk. Faintly hazel eyes searched the ceiling, brows slowly furrowing before - “I see the hatch.”

_“Good. Press against its center and a keypad should pop up.”_

Lexi maneuvered her way on top of the desk, careful not to trip; One slight wobble against the shelf’s wooden base way popped it free. All things considered, she's lucky all of them were empty. She sat each of them piece by piece on the desk before a hand reached up, pressing against the center of the strangely-patterned tile nestled in the corner of the ceiling. A holographic set of keys flickered over its body, narrowed eyes searching the changing mess. “Six, four, five, nine. Right?”

_“Yes.”_

The sounds that danced behind his words, hanging like weights in the background static of their comms, clinking and banging, mingling together in an unholy cacophony with interrupting voices, familiar, familiar, pained and strained, made her heart squeeze terribly in her chest; It hurt to hear. Nausea hit her hard, fingertips trembling as she keyed in the passcode. She hesitated. “Dare I ask if she’s okay?”

He didn’t answer.

She let out a soft breath.

Hydraulics whirred as it accepted the keyed phrase, metal retreating to push up and over to allow her access. Blue eyes warily stared down at the glass desk, willing and praying for it to hold her weight, before taking in a steadying breath. It took her a moment to pull herself through the small hatchway, knees to her chest in an unnatural angle, before hands caught the slots of a ladder. She tightly gripped them, climbing her way up an ever-twisting tunnel, before white lights blinded her and she froze, her jaw agape.

* * *

  
Time itself seemed as if it had stood still. Pieces hung still in the air, weighing them down and clinging to their bones, weighing them down right through to their very cores as their scared gazes met and locked, lingering.

A feeling, unknown, crushed his chest – He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, of being the one to pull the trigger and watch her life slowly disappear, bleed out before his very eyes. His wife, his _everything -_ The look flickering through her bloodshot gaze made him want to vomit, tired, tired, exhaustion melting away the bitter pieces of joy clinging to nothing. His lips trembled and his head slowly shook at her silent, soft plea.

No.

He can’t; He couldn’t -

Vivid tears pricking the corners of her icy blue eyes made him want to curl into himself, to hide, run away, to leave this God-forsaken place; Escape, escape, escape. Thoughts he couldn't control raced through his mind, the flash of her lifeless face shooting a tendril of cold racing down his spine -A quiver in her lips, begging, begging, made his skin crawl and he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, as her grip tightened on his over the gun. His throat squeezed.

“Jaal,” the tremble in her voice, exhaustion tugging on the edges and making her sound so tired, made his stomach churn. Lips pressed together, a twinge of blood smudging and smearing across the corner of her mouth. “You have to. Shoot me. I – I don’t want to h-hurt you –“

"No!" Desperation ripped through him as if he were nothing, a cry numbly breaking through his words. “My love, please –" The thought of the life leaving her eyes right before him was enough to make him fall. "I can't, I can't do this to you, my love. I can't,” his forehead pressed against the back of the gun’s handle, bright eyes squeezing shut as he swallowed thickly. “Not now, not ever. We -”

“Jaal, I can’t –“ Kylie pressed the gun against her head, harder, harder; She couldn’t look at him. The look in his wide, bright eyes, fear and heartbreak intermingling in a nauseating cacophony before they fell shut, made her _want_ to die, infinitesimal and all-seeing in a way that made her skin crawl. Her head slightly shook. Words slowly grit out through clenched teeth. “I can’t _fight_ this much longer, Jaal –"

Her voice came out soft, quiet, just hinging below a gentle whisper. "If you don't, I'll hurt you. And the very thought of that is enough to kill me itself."

The tangible feeling of his heart breaking in half just below her touch made her composure snap.

“No! My love, my darling one," an unsteady breath left him, trembling and weak. He bit back a broken sob, a waver in his voice making his words shake. Blue eyes looked at her with so much love, clarity hidden beyond blurring tears numbing her tired body. A hesitant hand fell to cradle her jaw, thumbing over the bruise nestled in its place. His words were murmured, only for her to hear. "The light of my life, the only thing keeping me sane - I can't do this to you. You can't ask this of me -”

“Jaal?!” Her hand tensed on the gun, control gradually slipping away from her fingertips like sand. Grain by grain fled, thread by thread unraveled, legs shaking and fingertips tensing as a tremor settled into her limbs, deep; Breaths came out fast, quick, hard, a pace her heart could barely keep up with; She couldn’t stop it, her body turning against her and –

A gunshot cocked, not his, not hers, not of their own, making them tense, freeze; They stood still, breaths hitched in their chests. Icy blue ones slowly widened as she met the angara's gaze, lips pressing together. Cold shot up her spine like a bullet, as his nostrils flared, lips slightly agape. It was visible - He was terrified to look over, to find out who the gun belonged to.

It stopped her in her tracks, numbing the rush, the itch, to move. The cool metal against the side of her head made her body twitch, shoulders slightly hiking up as she glanced over. Alec’s eyes narrowed, caution flickering across his dark features; His finger hesitated over the trigger and her heart broke.

Her own father, ready to shoot her down without hesitation, not even the slightest hint of guilt flickering across his dark features.

A gasp that broke her voice made it hard for her to breathe. “Alec?”

“Don’t move.”

“Alec, I - I don't –“

“Stop!” Jaal’s frantic yell interrupted her desperation-laced words, cutting through the crisp air; His voice fell low and dangerous as his gaze met her father’s ice-like one; The tension that fell between the two men was near-tangible, her stomach tensing as her eyes flickered from one to the other. Her head ached in a way that made her mind spin, trying to fight against the slowly-slipping grip on her composure. The slightest snarl on his lips made her shiver. “Put your gun down.”

“Jaal –“

“ _Now_!" His booming voice echoed through the chasm, nearly making her jump. The look in his eyes, anger intermingling like a fire within the galaxy-like colors, was enough to make her weak. "And you will not touch even just a single strand of coiled hair upon her head, let alone disturb even the slightest plait of her braids, or by the Stars, I –“

“If this doesn’t work, she’s going to kill you, kid!” Alec shook his head in pure disbelief. He could barely even fathom it. The gun pressed harder against the side of her head, his eyes widening as his brows furrowed. "I," a scoff broke through his words. “I really don’t know what you’re expecting, but I need to do -”

“I’m not a ‘kid’ to you, Ryder! And you do not need to do _anything -"_

The familiar family name said in the deep, lovely tremor of his voice brought a surge of memories coursing through her veins, eyes sharply widening – Time spent together late at night, legs dangling off the walkway leading to the bridge, their feet swinging and laughter flickering through the dry air as they ate their favorite junk foods together and talked about their favorite memories.

Her first time stepping foot on Havarl, tripping on a puddle in the rain and causing her to trip, skip, soar across the pathway on her stomach before crashing into a platform; The way his eyes twinkled when he stared at her, soaking wet with a goofy grin on her scratched-up face, and the strangest feeling tugging on his features, made her feel at home.

Home.

 _He_ is home.

When he finally called her by her actual name, her favored name, the name that made her feel safe and comfortable, the clouds parting and the slightest lift on her depression making her feel human for once in her _goddamn_ life. A strange clarity in a way that she had never felt, or even realized was possible, before –

Icy blue eyes squeezed shut as she swallowed thickly, an unsteady breath leaving her while her head rolled back against the flickering, metal pole behind her. The grip on his gun tightened, sliding down her face until it met the center of her throat; Squeezing, squeezing, veins popping and knuckles bulging as he fought against her moving it. A voice broke her from her thoughts, loud and abrupt –

“Now, Dr. T’Perro!”

Lights brilliantly flickered, enough to blind her. Her senses became muted, flashing before her eyes in a rush of flowing colors and endless waves of visible static; A switch flipped off and her body fell limp, darkness engulfing her as an array of voices melted and mixed together, just beyond her hearing.

* * *

_  
“Reinitializing the connection.”_

A familiar voice echoed and boomed through her head, the strangest warmth rushing through her body and reawakening her dulled senses with a single pulse. Thick brows slowly furrowed against the feeling, trying to put her finger on what, exactly, it is - Another followed, stronger than the one before, and a gasp escaped her before she could help it.

_“Please stand by.”_

“Who –“ Her voice faded, cracked; Another pulse made the black swirling around her body, viscous like an endless wave, dissipate with a single touch. It gave way to reveal an intricate interface of white and blue lining and intertwining around each other in wounding tendrils, nearly melting down the walls in vivid streaks, like an oil spill. It almost felt as if she were trapped inside of a never-ending box.

A sheer grey encapsulated her floating body, yanking it down to suddenly-appearing platforms changing colors beneath her feet. Her mind swam when she tried to watch it, enough to make her head ache and her stomach twist. She stumbled on a step forward, a flicker in her hands making her eyes widen as she lifted them to examine just what they were doing.

A glitch, almost –

_“Hello, Kylie.”_

“What?” A sharp gasp at the steadfast voice made her breath hitch as she jumped, looking up. The ceiling moved in a relaxed wave of interlocked, white squares, flowing endlessly around the room that seemed to flow for as far as her eyes could see. She slowly looked from one side to the other, empty. “Who’s there?”

_“It is I, Sam.”_

What?

 _“It’s good to see you again. I was beginning to fear that I would not be able to speak with you ever again."_  The softest, most minute piece of genuine sadness pulled at his usually steady tone, making it waver. Is she imagining this? Did she die? _"I’m not too sure that I would have been able to handle that.”_

“Oh,” surely she’s not going insane. Right? Right? A moment of hesitation allowed her to glance around, almost as if she were trying to find where exactly he was hiding. She shook her head – He’s not hiding. He’s a disembodied voice, an AI implanted into her brain. He won't be visible. A soft breath left her. “Yeah. God, same here. I... I really missed you.”

_“And I, you. Are you aware of what’s currently going on?”_

“Kinda?" Thick brows furrowed, her features scrunching up in thought. She couldn't really place a finger on what just happened, her brain pulling a blank as she tried to think. It almost felt as if she had a block in her mind. That scared her. "I mean, the last thing I remember is –“ 

A flicker, a near-glitch in the air in front of her made her mouth clamp shut. Her brow quirked up as the air started to wade, to swirl, endlessly moving in a slow, fluid-like wave that gradually quickened, faster and faster, before a figure popped out of the clumped mass. She jumped back a step.

 _“I apologize,”_ the figure’s mouth moved as if it were him speaking. Her heart skipped a beat, a hand pressing against it. _“I believe that you would feel more relaxed if I took on the appearance of a familiar thing. I know how much you used to dislike talking to air when speaking with me, so I searched my databases for a stock human body. I hope this will work.”_

“It’s… Okay?” Kylie cleared her throat, warily staring at him before sharply looking away. Icy blue eyes searched the unsteady floor, slowly narrowing as a soft squeeze in her chest made her realize something. She's missed him. Shit, she's really missed him. Thoughts flooded back in a rush, emotions pulling heavily at her voice. Words grit out through clenched teeth, hands balling into angry fists. "All I remember is that _piece of shit_ Archon taking over my body and making me – Making me… _Fight_ my… My family.”

_“Good, you remember that much. However, are you aware of what just happened before you arrived here?”_

“No," she looked up at him, curious. "Not exactly.”

_“Alright. What happened is something that I was unable to stop from occurring. Your direct connection to my SAM implant was altered on the Tempest. It was hidden in a room that your father had made, but was unable to utilize before his untimely death. The contents of that room directly link with not only your implant, but also your internal systems. It is highly plausible that if the wrong individual were able to get into that room, they would be able to control you.”_

A sharp breath left her. “Oh, my God.”

_“Yes, I know. There is also the matter of the shock your body will experience upon waking up. I know that previously your body had not taken well to my initial connection with your implant, so I'm not certain how your body will handle the current one. This reconnection was different than the first. He reset my module, which powers the connectivity between your actual, physical systems and my connections. I'm not certain how intense the side effects will be from that, given that it is a vastly different source of power, but it is plausible to assume that they will be extreme.”_

Her stomach dropped.

_“I’m sorry.”_

“No.” The slightest blip of what could be considered genuine sympathy in his monotonous tone, just barely there, just slightly fleeting, made her heart skip a beat. She quickly shook her head, swallowing thickly. “It’s – I… It’s okay. Definitely not looking forward to that, but I think I'm more shocked by the whole, 'room inside the Tempest' thing. Does that mean that there was… A…?”

_“No, I do not believe that there was an inside resource on the Tempest for the kett or the Archon himself. It is something to look into. However, I believe it would be an injustice for me to not tell you this. The person that has claimed to be Alec that you met back on Meridian is not, in fact, the Alec that you know.”_

“What? How?” She shook her head, brows sharply furrowing. “I mean – Shit, Sam. He remembers everything from my childhood, right down to the _tiniest_ details, I –“

_“He synced with Alec’s old implant, thus gaining his previous memories and mannerisms. Despite the amount of research I have done, I cannot determine who this individual is, or where he originated from. He has blocked me from scanning him. If I were the type to bet on such things, I would almost say that it is possible that this individual might be a mutated form of an exalted human.”_

Disbelief swirled through her icy blue eyes. Her head slightly shook, lips barely parting as she tried to find words, any, anything. “W-What?”

* * *

  
“What the fuck did you just do?!” Drack’s voice cut through the air like a knife, catching her father's attention. Angry footsteps echoed through the room, danger indicated, as his body nearly seethed with each stomp; Rough hands grabbed the collar of the man's armor, yanking him up to his level as a snarl, mean enough to send a shiver down his spine, curled across his lips. "I'll give you  _two_ seconds to answer."

“No,” Jaal’s voice was labored, heavy, leaving him in harsh pants.Wide, blue eyes watched as trembling hands desperately grasped her slouching body, gently guiding it down to the floor as his knees gave out. Whimpers escaped the man with each breath, fear blinding him as her body curved over his lap. His hands cradled her jaw, tears blinding him. “No, no, no –“

“She’s not dead,” the rough staccato of her father’s curt words cut through his pleas, catching his tear-filled gaze. The look the angara gave him was enough to make him shiver, fire flickering in bright blues and brows furrowed, anger. "If you'd sit me down and give me a chance to explain what's going on, you'll realize that you're crying for no reason."

 _“Did that work, Alec?”_ Lexi’s voice filtered in, static breaking -

“Bluebutt,” the krogan’s grip tightened on his armor, a crack sounding and making icy blue eyes widen. The poison laced through his deep-set eyes and staining his voice made the man's stomach tense, his shoulders squaring as he tried to keep his composure steady. “What the fuck did you just do to my ru’shan?!”

 _“I reset her systems, Drack.”_ An irritated grunt escaped him as the raven fell from his grip. _“Alec had messaged me a few minutes ago, asking me to tap into his resources for Sam’s implant from her quarters. There was a connection to her systems. I figured that, since the Archon is controlling her through his disabled implant, resetting it would free her.”_

“From her quarters?” Liam chirped in, his thick brows furrowed and disbelief pulled at his tone. “What the actual fuck are you going on about right now, Lex? I’ve scoured her room for _hours_ whenever I’d spend the night, and I’d never seen anything involving Sam other than that creepy-ass hologram that's always sitting right on her desk.”

_“It’s hidden.”_

A soft pause made his eyes roll.

“And?”

_“I’m not going to just **tell** you!”_

“Enough!” Jaal’s deep voice cut through their argument. “I – I –“ Wide, galaxy-like eyes met familiar, icy blue ones, slowly narrowing as his tone grew deep, curt. Electric hands roughly grasped the lapels of his armor, similar to how the krogan had, yanking him down to his level of height from on his knees. “What did you do to her?!”

_“Jaal, he –“_

“Like I said a minute ago,” Alec harshly pulled away from him and sat back on his heels beside her. The palms of his hands pressed against her temples, eyes falling shut. A soft breath left him as his eyes slowly opened, glancing over at him. “I talked your ship's doctor through in the resetting of the hardwire link to Sam’s implant in her head. She’s fine.”

“What?!” Liam’s jaw dropped. “The last time her connection to Sam was interrupted, she –“

“She’s _fine_.”

“Are you kidding me?" The scoff that escaped the angara was hard, filled with the utmost disbelief. "She - She does not look _fine_!” Anger dancing through his deep voice sent a shudder rushing up the man's spine, cold. He vividly gestured, completely heated. “If this is how you would describe someone as being _fine_ , I can see as to why she vehemently dislikes you so much -”

“Listen, kid – I really don’t know why she likes you enough to want to marry you, considering that you have no idea when to shut your mouth and listen," Alec shook his head, rolling his eyes, "but I know what I’m doing. I’ve been doing this for longer than she’s been alive. You need to shut up, let the expert do what he needs to do, and relax.”

“Dad,” James’ dropped to his knees, stopping the jaw-dropped angara right in his tracks before he could burst. Hands fell from his aching face in favor of reaching for his father’s shoulders, their gazes meeting. “The last time anything happened with her connection to Sam, she nearly died. No – Kay died, Dad. She actually fucking _died_ from that. Back on Khi Tisera.”

“This is different; It’s a unique reset feature I had installed before we left." Alec's eyes fell to her lifeless body, so still, so quiet, so unlike  _her_. It almost pulled at his heart, the slightest hint of guilt making him hesitate. "It’s been disabled. Until now, that is. Didn’t get a chance to fully implement it before I kicked the bucket, so I figured now was a good as time as any to test it out.”

“Test it _out_?! You decided to _test it out_ on Kay?! I -“

A whirr behind them made their bodies tense, seize; Lights flickered throughout the room in sharp bursts, unsteady, unsteady; Harsh screams cut through the air, rattling and echoing through the endless chasm, making them fall quiet. Silence hung in the static-filled air, eyes slowly glancing from one gaze to the other, before another curt scream broke it.

Machines formed around them, metal clinking and chiming against metal, before the familiar green nestled in the centers of their torso turned red, the color washing their silver-glinted bodies. The noises that they emitted nearly deafened them; James shot up, hands reaching for his holstered gun as he looked over at Jaal.

The worry in his bright, galaxy-like eyes made him hesitate.

“Jaal,” Alec’s slightly-strained voice caught the angara’s attention. He looked over, catching him nodding to her body. Arms wrapped under her shoulders as he rocked back onto his heels, a soft grunt escaping the man. “Help me move her to safety. Gotta start the reconnection process now – If she sits there inactive for too long, _then_ we’ll have problems.”

He numbly nodded.

* * *

  
Feet moved before his brain could register them, the sound of footsteps rushing through the air and piercing through the robotic beeps that littered the barrier. Gunshots broke through, a ring settling deep within James’ ears as he slid behind a raised platform. His back met the cold metal, eyes falling shut as he wiped away the sweat beading on his forehead.

Lights flickered all around him, on and off, on and off, in a sickening pattern; Shadows dotted the far-away walls of the chasm, reflecting against the deep-hued water and bouncing across his dark features. “Lili?” He called out, peering over his cover to catch the brunette rolling into cover beside the krogan. A hand came up to touch his stinging face, pulling away with the slightest hint of blood. His heart sank. _That wasn’t her doing that, James. Breathe._ “Comms still good?”

_“Yup.”_

“Sweet – Tell me if that shady bastard on the platform with Mom makes a move.” A spared glance over his shoulder as he turned around revealed worry flickering through chocolate eyes. Their gazes met, thick brows slowly furrowing, before he winked. It caught the brunette off guard, a snort escaping him through their comms that made James feel all too cocky. “I’m gonna head in closer, see what’s holding her down and try to get her free.”

_“Got it. Be careful, okay?”_

“When am I not?”

 _“Pfft! Never! Okay, I just wanna be real with you right now.“_  The slightest waiver of hesitation in his voice made him pause. His heart skipped a beat.  _“You know that I love you, right? Like, so fucking much that it hurts. Like, the amount of love that I have for you is like, seriously, the most impossible thing, to the point where it physically **hurts**.”_

“Um, duh! Of course I know that, you goof. And, shit – There’s literally no need for like, goodbyes and stuff. I’m definitely not going anywhere, like ever. Doof. But, I love you, too.” He paused as he stood, swallowing thickly. His shoulders tensed, a soft feeling pulling at his heart. “No, actually. I take that back. I love you even more and don’t you forget that. Ever.”

A soft, nervous-filled chuckle flickering through his comms' static, just behind gunfire, made his heart skip an unsteady, uncertain beat. The slightest moment of hesitation caused that soft, strange feeling to crush his heart, a cold realization pooling at his feet as he took a step forward, one after the other.  
  
What if this is the last time he’d be able to tell Liam just how much he loves him? How much just one glance of his brilliant, chocolate eyes makes him feel weak, the slightest twitch of his signature, toothy grin on his full lips enough to make his knees give out, weak, falling for him and only him, the mere thought enough to overwhelm him -  
  
Shit.  
  
One thought led to another, rushing out of his brain like a broken dam. It flickered from his mother, fear in her eyes and tears rushing down umber cheeks as she laid in her hospital bed, terrified to say goodbye, before it led to his father; Staying up all day and all night, losing sleep over making this AI intertwined with their brains, just to save their mother.  
  
But, it didn’t work.

Instead, her body decayed and decayed until her last breath left her in that god-forsaken hospital bed. They watched her die. They watched their mother die, hand in hand, her voice cracking and breaking; Her final breath tore their family apart as it left. And when that happened, the Initiative grabbed Sam and ran, spouting it as what they wanted – No, what they  _needed_  to leave, to escape the Reapers, to live another day in their greedy haze.

That job ruined Alec. The Initiative ruined Alec.  
  
And for what?

Is it worth it? Is it worth  _this_?

His thoughts trailed to his sister, his throat feeling full. She’d been so strong without him, her rock, her foundation, for so long that he wasn’t sure she needed him anymore. When she came home from Omega, she’d been numb, quiet, unlike her for so long; This person that she’s become, on her own, confident and steadfast no matter what is thrown at her, made his heart feel heavy. Her lifeless body flashed through his icy blue eyes and –

He swallowed thickly. 

A soft twinge in his heart made him tense. The grip on his gun tightened before he quickly squared his shoulders. No - Fuck his father, fuck everyone else that didn't deserve to have his sister look at them with her brilliant eyes, nor her cheeky grin that could light up an entire room in one swift move. He’s doing this. For her. It’s what she would’ve wanted, what she would’ve done, if she hadn’t –

He fervently shook his head.

Don’t think of it, of that – He couldn't stomach the mere thought, his throat flipping as he swallowed thickly. Time is of the essence, two lives hanging in the balance, and it’s time for him to get to work. Their lives, their plans that they had made together during recess at school and whispered between classes in the hallways during high school, would have to wait for now.

_Always and forever, Liam.  
_

* * *

  
“D-Don’t – Don’t –“ Janelle’s voice could barely manage to work, just slightly gritting out; Strained, pained, holding onto the pieces that kept her together until it cracked, faded, and she coughed. Blood pricked the corners of her lips, twisting down in uneven, globbed lines that intermingled with the vividly-colored ones made from her nose. “Don’t –“

A scaled hand touched under her jaw, interrupting her broken words. It slowly trailed an ungodly pattern under her chin, goosebumps dotting her flesh in a race after his disgusting touch. Her skin crawled, eyes squeezing shut against his gaze. His voice made her shiver. “Don’t _what_?”

The slightest bob in her throat made him grin. Bloodshot eyes slowly, hesitantly opened to warily meet his gaze, fingers wrapping around her throat and making her tense, pause. The gasp that came from her, gross and jagged, hurt; A shiver danced up her spine as a choked, shaky breath left her.

She couldn’t answer.

“Look at you,” his voice grew low, deep, the grip on her throat tightening into a dizzying mess. A warm, disgusting breath fanned across her bruised and sullen cheeks as he leaned forward, their noses were inches apart. Green eyes fell shut as she pressed her lips together, willing him away. His path trailed to her temple, pausing. “Unable to move, unable to _speak,_ even – How pathetic.”

"And here I thought the Ryder family was strong, a force to be reckoned with." A strange sense of urgency rushed through her chest at his words, near-dizzying; Craze mixed with desperation stained the compact, square-like features on his twisted and mangled face, his demeanor melting away into a sliver of what he once was. With a rough growl, he pushed away from her, fingers scratching an irritated, aimless pattern on his head. 

“I tire of these games.” The slightest waver in his voice made him pause, hesitate. His thoughts jumbled together, jumping from one to the other at such a pace that he couldn't follow. Words left him for the briefest of moments, wide eyes glancing around at the kett scattered protectively about him before they narrowed. “Go finish the rest of those idiotic stragglers down there. The Ryder will take care of the stronger ones, the ones worth fighting.”

A chorus of grunts answered him, footsteps stumbling and dancing over each other’s as they disappeared down the unevenly-raised, eerily-glowing pathway. A swipe of his hand stopped two of them, their bodies slamming into each other's as he motioned for them to follow him. His steps led him to the edge of their platform, watching as the remaining kett descended upon their intruders with gusto.

The strangest moment of silence hit him; Yells echoed and danced behind gunfire, bodies rolling and blood splattering, over and over in an endless melody. He glanced over his shoulder, meeting her barely-focused gaze as she fought to remain conscious. “Your child has been a formidable opponent -”

“My _children_.” Janelle corrected him, trembling. “Not – Not just -”

“The boy is useless.” The Archon cleared his throat. “I’ve seen what he can do – It’s not much. Not enough; Not as much as the girl can do, nor is he even minutely as strong as she is.” He stepped just over the threshold, hands folding behind his back while his eyes slowly narrowed. “The power of his biotics is not as intense as hers. I can feel it. Through her implant, of course.”

“They –“ Her voice cracked with effort; The machine hovering around her head flickered red, a burst of pain making her cry out, jagged. The noise made her body recoil, curling into herself. She struggled to grit out words through clenched teeth, holding herself together. “They _both_ are strong. _So_ fucking strong – They have more strength in a single finger than you do in your entire body. You? You are just a loser, a _sore_ loser. A _motherfucking_ –“

“I can see where she gets her use of unintelligent words.” A scream broke the woman’s words in half, electric crackling over the length of her body in a brilliant light show. Her body spasmed, eyes rolling into the back of her head as tears overwhelmed her. Rays of color shot out across the metal-filled field, the brilliance enough to blind and make her head spin. “Little-minded creatures use those.”

His head slightly tilted, the briefest hint of amusement flickering through his beady eyes as he watched her convulse, tremble. A glance to the corner of his eyes signaled the small machine flittering about, the light flickering off to give her a fleeting moment to catch a quick breath. It paused. “Send in the pet and get started on finalizing the connections to Meridian.”

The blood-curdling screams dancing behind him as it flickered back on, acknowledging, darkened his expression, a curl in his lips revealing a disgusting snarl. Kett to his sides grasped the vast, technology-laced wires hanging from the ceiling, attaching them to the make-shift modules resting on the back of his armor. His eyes fell shut, hands balling into fists. “We’re taking Meridian. Now.”

“I can see the network." Lights flashed before his eyes, awe slacking his features as his mouth fell agape. He grinned, sickening, gross, his arms raising in victory as he looked back at her. The look on her face was priceless, agony mixed with desperation sending a rush of adrenaline through his veins. "The Remnant machines were architects of life – Your child has commanded _nothing_!”

“No, she – She has made this cluster livable for _thousands_!” Her words were barely audible, broken by harsh cries that made her skin crawl. Red flickered deeper, darker across her body, the pull on her brain and the tug in her implant enough to cross her eyes, her body very nearly falling limp with exhaustion. She bit back a gasped sob, legs rising to curl into her chest as her head rolled back, another wave nearly crushing her alive. "You - You have - Haven't -"

“No.” He slowly shook his head as the wires hummed to life and pulled him up, a brightness engulfing his body like a wave as he disappeared into the haloed ceiling filled with twin wiring. His voice boomed, echoed, rushing through the chasm in an endless, taunting staccato. “She’s led your people to their deaths.”

* * *

  
A leap over one of the bridge-like, circular platforms to another that showed the sharp drop below if he were to make just one wrong step, right into an endless aura of red, sent him stumbling forward; Desperate hands grasped the slippery, railed edge of faintly-glowing metal, nearly losing his grip. Icy blue eyes squeezed shut as his breath hitched, armored boots screeching against its twin texture before he came to a stop, just seconds before a sharp dip.

“Holy fuck,” James sharply breathed into his comms, pushing himself up to prepare for another leap. A giddy, excitement-filled laugh danced behind his words, throwing himself forward onto the next one. “Dude, holy shit - This is, by far, the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life, Lil.”

 _“Are you sure about that?”_ His words were punctuated with grunts, gunshots firing in the static-filled background. _“I mean, there was that one time back on Kadara when you nearly stomped into that puddle of sizzling, electric death, you know? Right after we got out to... To, uh... Shit, what was it? Oh! After we went out to like, check out some artifact Peebs wanted us to find."_

“Ha!” A haughty chuckle crinkled his freckled face, the biggest grin pulling at his full lips before he rolled his eyes. Thick brows slowly furrowed as he thought about it for just the briefest moment, struggling to recollect the memory - Ah. “Okay,” he shrugged, propelling himself forward to the next platform with a grunt. “That’s true.”

 _“Told you so,”_ his sing-songy tone made him smile. _“So, thought about what you wanted to name the kids?”_

“I thought we decided on this already?” The slightly confused pitch in his voice skipped when he tripped over a raised tile. A gasp escaped him as he caught himself, his toes curling in his boots. His heart skipped a beat as he took in a soft breath. Shit. “I mean, didn’t we decide on naming them Ayslin, Macen, and maybe, _possibly,_ Garrus?”  

_“Garrus? Whaaat? When did – What – Okay, that’s news to me.”_

“What?! You don't remember? Are you serious? I told you about it a few weeks ago! Remember? We were sitting in the Tavetaan after Kylie and Jaal got engaged when I spouted it off to you." His hands vividly gestured, brows sharply furrowing in pure disbelief. "We can’t just go and _not_ have a kid named after Shepard’s cute-ass boyfriend, babe! Garrus is hot!”

_“I can live without one of our kids having a fan name, JJ!”_

“Liam!" James whined, nearly stomping his foot impatiently. He caught himself, taking in a steadying breath before quickly shaking his head and stilling himself. A grunt escaped him as he jumped to the final platform of the bridge. " _All_ of our kids are fan names! One’s after Jaal’s niece, the other after our turian Pathfinder, and the other after the one and only Garrus Vakarian, only the best actor in the entire Blasto series despite his brief, two-minute cameo!”

_“Oh, my God – Who are you? Who am I talking to right now? ‘Cause I think that maybe you tripped and knocked your brain a little too hard when you took off a few minutes ago. Like, what? He definitely wasn’t the best in the entire Blasto series! I’m seriously offended right now. The fact that you’re discrediting the main character, I mean - Blasto himself was literally God –“_

“No, he wasn’t!" The look James shot the obsidian-like wall beside him was enough to kill. He sharply shrugged. "Holy fucking shit, I feel like I don’t even know you anymore?”

_“Says the guy who just said a cameo appearance was better than the main character!”_

“You, of all people, should understand why!”

_“What?!”_

“Oh, maybe only because you watch so many fucking movies in which you fall in love with characters _other_ than the main one, and...” His voice faded in wonder as an ungodly screech clattered from just below the bridge he stood on. His stomach dropped as the ground trembled, cracks and creaks sounding all around him in a deafening cacophony that made his ears ring. “Jesus.”

 _“JJ,"_  the fear in his voice was almost tangible. _"What’s all that noise?”_

“I –“ A shaky breath left him as a creature rose, metal twisting and curving around the length of its magnificent, towering body in an endless, reflective wave. Dark plate after dark plate shielded its electric core, lightning flickering in blue-purple sparks over the length of it in a way that made his feet fall numb. Bright lights flickered, running down the entirety of its steel-lined skin. His heart nearly stopped beating. “I –“

_“JJ?!”_

* * *

  
“I…" A soft breath left her. Thoughts raced through her mind, making it hard for her to breathe, to think. "I don’t think I understand what you’re saying, Sam.”

_“What do you not understand, Kylie?”_

“I…” Icy blue eyes slowly took in his muted blue appearance; Hair akin to the static flipping around his flickering head was cropped short and slicked back, twisted to the side in a tangle of coils. It flashed the quickest hint of pale blond, disappearing in a spark. A faintly rich, tawny color tinted and peeked through the glitches, traveling down his skin like a wave. “I don’t know.”

 _“The person that identifies himself as Alec, your father, is not the real Alec.”_ Her heart skipped an unsteady beat. It paled in comparison to the humming running through her legs, followed by a rush of cold, numbing her. _“Your father died back on Habitat Seven – He suffocated after giving you his helmet in favor of taking your shattered one. He sacrificed himself to save you. One does not simply come back to life after dying, Kylie. It is impossible.”_

“What?” Kylie shook her head, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find the words. Nothing came, the only sound coming out was a rolled word that couldn't seem to fully form. “But you said that you brought my mom back from the dead after she died back in Huerta Memorial. On the Citadel. Remember? You told me that back when I was talking to you in SAM Node, just after she woke up again, or whatever.”

Silence fell between them, hanging over them like a heavy weight. It was almost tangible, the tension suddenly there. Their gazes met and locked, a glitch in the matrix sparking across their bodies and bathing them in the quickest hint of darkness. It disappeared just as soon as it happened, almost as if she had blinked; Her heart sputtered to race in her chest. His eyes narrowed and he took a cautious step forward, inching closer to her.

_“She did not die back on the Citadel.”_

“What?”

The white-grey box that formed a pattern across the stark-white walls abruptly faded and interrupted her, turning into the richly-colored horizon of Aya. Brilliant oranges, bright blues, and lovely reds bathed them in the prettiest wash of color, making her hesitate. She stared at him for a moment, eyes slowly narrowing before she nodded to their suddenly drastic surroundings. It was suspicious. “Why?”

_“Aya relaxes you. I do believe that you had once called it your favorite place in Andromeda, for many obvious reasons. You feel at home there. It reminds you of Jaal, of happier times spent with him and his family, especially pertaining to the particular moments of joy just after your engagement to him on one of their most popular beaches. I believe that this will help you to breathe, to –“_

Their faces met, mere inches from each other, and she jumped. Black-rimmed eyes bore into hers, all-seeing and never-ending, sending a shiver racing up her spine. Her body froze in place when she tried to take a step back, her breath hitching and she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. His monotonous, smooth voice echoed and boomed through her loudly-ringing ears, numbing her senses until all that she could feel and hear was him; Only him, him, him.

_“Wake up.“_

* * *

  
Brilliant, red beams of never-ending light flickered around him in an infinite wave, impending doom hurtling right at him before a frantic jump threw himself out of the way. One step after the other moved without thought, rushing across the gradually falling bridge as he popped another ammo sink into his gun, sliding behind the safety of a glowing, metal half-wall.

_“JJ?!”_

“I’m good!” Panic laced through his near, high-pitched scream of a reply, echoing through the chasm. He was breathless, pants leaving him as he tried to catch his breath. This amount of running is _definitely_ not something he's used to doing. Ever. At all. “Just – Just dodging this stupid _fucking_ Architect!”

_“You what and the what now?!”_

“I said that I’m,” James leaped forward, narrowly dodging the sudden array of gunfire following after his body in a solid line as he ran to the next platform just ahead. His voice rose with each step, higher and higher, faster and faster. “I’m dodging this fucking Architect while there’s a million goddamn kett here and there and everywhere with fucking Remnant crawling all over this damn, God-forsaken place!”

 _“What the fuck?!"_  Liam's voice cracked, fabric shuffling just behind the static. _"Wait, Oh, my God - I see you! Holy fucking shit, you better be careful or I swear to god – You know what? I’m coming over there right now!”_

“No!” Desperation broke his voice. It trembled as he rolled behind a raised platform, wide, scared eyes searching the thick-tiled wall in front of his face. Red lined its black, metal body, flickering on and off, on and off, in a dizzying pattern that was followed by a rush of vivid purple that rolled over it like a wave. He nearly begged, unable to control his quick breathing as his eyes squeezed shut. “No, no, please - You need to stay there!”  

_“Are you kidding me right now?! You’re being overwhelmed by these fuckers! Like, I love you, but there's no way you can just fucking fight an Architect, on your own, with a million fucking kett and Remnant! If someone doesn’t come and help you right now, you’re gonna fuckin’ –“_

“I’m fine, Lili! Trust me." James peered over the top of his cover, abruptly taking off the head of a Remnant bot lurking just a hair too close to his cover. A gunshot flew by his head in a whirr, his eyes rolling back as he fell back down behind the safety of the glowing platform. His heart raced in his chest, a giddy chuckle escaping him as metal footsteps echoed behind him. "I’m a Ryder, aren’t I?”

 _“Cheers to that,”_ a familiar voice quipped in – Alec. He wasn't sure if he should be mad at him or not.  _“Ryders are hard to kill. Your sister is a definite example of that.”_

“Speaking of," his heart skipped a beat, dread settling in his stomach. He almost didn't want to ask. "How’s Kay?”

_“There's no need to worry about her, James. She’ll be fine. She's strong. Reinitializing everything right now – I don’t believe there’ll be any damage done to her systems, just as long as she boots back up, I suppose. I don’t know how pregnancies work with this constant shutting-off of her implant, but I believe we’ll find out soon enough.”_

_“And I’m standing by for her when everything is said and done,”_ Lexi’s comforting voice made him relax back against the cold metal. His eyes squeezed shut for the briefest moment, a trembling breath leaving him. The mere thought of something going wrong, something bad happening to her, the possibility of her never waking up - He felt sick.  _“She’ll be in very good hands, James. I've got everything laid out, just in case.”_

“Yeah.” He numbly nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

 _“And if there **are** any problems,” _ Jaal quickly started, his voice growing low with anger. It nearly made his comms waver, deep and ready to snap, bite; He could almost feel the snarl on his lips as he spoke, poison and malice combining in a concoction that made him shiver. _“I know exactly who is to be blamed. And I will not hesitate to take action upon them.”_

James snorted, shaking his head. “Okay, she’s _really_ rubbed off on you, big guy.”

_“Well, she **is** my fiancée, my brother. I’ve known her for a very long time, now. She is... Amazing.”_

A beam shooting at him from across the bridge, bathing him in a stark-red fog, nearly made him squeak. He recoiled further behind his cover, eyes squeezing shut before a dizzying array of gunfire echoed around his body and rang through his ears. He shakily sighed, fear settling deep within his chest. Breathe. “Yeah, I know. And from what I’ve heard of you before I popped into the picture, you acted completely different than you do now.”

 _“Yes, I... I know. She’s changed me."_  A soft, disbelieving chuckle danced through his words. James could almost feel his happy smile, enough to crack his freckled face in half. _"In only the best of ways, of course. I am a better person now, more confident and more relaxed to be myself, all because of her. I’m so very, incredibly grateful for her, truly.”_

Shit. The sheer awe and the softest hint of wonder in his voice made his heart just ache. They deserve each other.

 _“James,”_ his father’s voice caught his attention, a sharp breath escaping him. _“Don't know if you could tell, but the Archon is drawing too much power – All this electricity in the air, both from the Remnant and from the consoles all around, are going straight through to him. You need to shut down any Remnant interfaces you come across. He’ll have nothing to draw if we take them out.”_

“Got it.”

James peered over his cover, shooting a clean shot right through the center of the Architect’s unprotected core nestled on its opened head. A leg gave in, then the other, before a shuddering creak echoed through the chasm and it fell with a deafening crash. Its body trembled uncontrollably, metal crinkling and crackling as it collapsed into the decayed bridge just across from his cover.

He gasped, the opportunity hanging in the air; A chill raced up his spine.

Feet moved before he could fully process what his body was doing, a stubbornness digging itself deep into his chest; He's not going to lose his only chance to kill this fucker – Sharp breaths left him with each step, giving him a well-needed boost to leap over a platform that sent him spiraling right towards its flickering, unstable core.

A trembling hand reached out, connecting to its processors with a brilliant explosion; Sparks sputtered up his body, bathing him in the richest wash of orange that nearly drowned out his senses. The scream that left him chilled his spine, goosebumps racing up his flesh as it bounced against the endless walls and danced around him in a numbing pattern.

It screeched and groaned in a beautiful burst of vivid purples, metal giving way as the core started to overheat, sparks flying; Its limp core finally collapsed to the ground with a screech. James barely managed to leap out of the way before it finally fell down, the ground trembling under its massive weight and his heart skipping an unsteady beat as he stumbled on a step, falling to his knees.

_“Holy fuck, that was hot.”_

"Oh," James bit back a cheeky grin. “I know,” a soft breath left him as he glanced around, catching the sight of a flickering, glowing console sat not too far away. He grinned, taking in a sharp breath before running for it. The kett around him hesitated, falling back into cover as the pulses from the loss of the Architect rolled among them. “I’m always hot, Lili. Glad you’ve finally noticed, though.”

_“Like, JJ, you literally leaped in there like a goddamn superhero, fist raised and all, and took that fucker out with one single touch! I mean, not counting all the times you had to duck into cover while we tried to shoot at its legs and all, but still. Uhh, I know this is kinda a sudden thing to ask, but can you take me yet?”_

“Dude! Are you serious right now?" A vivid flash of burning, hot red danced across his umber cheeks. Icy blue eyes widened as he shot a mean glare over his shoulder, catching the face of a grinning Liam that looked  _way_ too smug for someone who's supposed to be just as ridiculously tired as he felt. "We’re in the middle of this super important thing and you just gotta be all like –“

_“Where’s Kylie?”_

Jaal’s voice chilled his body right down to his core. A skip in his steps nearly sent him crashing forward, just barely catching himself on the rim of the Remnant console. His hand hesitated as it met the flickering lights over the device's holographic surface, orange electrodes swirling to life amidst pale blue. They crawled up his arm while his stomach sank, his breath hitching. “What do you mean?”

 _“I – I,”_ the angara could barely form coherent words. Panic wound its way through his words, gushing and rushing out of him before he could even help it. Fabric rustling broke through the static of their comms, indicating his frantic searching as brisk footsteps raced through. _“She – She is not **here**! Her body is – It’s… It’s missing. She was here a minute ago and now she's gone! Kylie?!”_

 _“Holy fuck!”_ Drack’s voice boomed through their comms. 

James glanced over to the railing, icy blue eyes widening as he caught the sight of an explosion overhead, just where the Archon's body had receded. They trailed down to the steps leading up to the platform, a sharp gasp escaping him and his heart painfully squeezing in his chest  –

* * *

  
One step forward made her tired, bloodshot eyes roll back; Her body fought against her with each push, stubbornness etching through her spine and holding her in an iron-tight grip. A tremble settled deep within her bones, a flippant breath nearly sending her into an asthma attack as cold clung to her limbs -

She couldn’t breathe.

The weight increased tenfold on her legs.

_“You **can** breathe, Kylie. Ignore the thoughts in your head that say otherwise. You are in control of yourself. The Archon cannot do anything to you anymore. He cannot touch you.”_

No, no, no – Her head numbly shook, quickly, fervently, before it slightly, subtly, nodded at Sam’s soothing words. Another step ceased her breathing. Kylie curled forward on the flickering platform, a spine-tingling screech emitted from armor meeting metal as her knee skidded across the tile; She reached for purchase on something, anything, desperation enough to break her as a broken gasp ripped from her throat.

 _“Do not over-think this. Over-thinking has been your downfall, your weakness. You are a strong woman, Kylie. Stronger than you realize. Not only are you are the Pathfinder, the leader that stepped up when nobody else would, but you are also one of the Ryders that crossed dark space to save a galaxy not of her own. You survived. You lived through years of abuse, both physically and mentally, both from others and from yourself,_ _undeservedly so_ _– And you lived. You are a survivor. You are so much stronger than what you are feeling right now.”_

Exhausted, glazed-over eyes stared down at the obsidian flickering beneath her palms, her vision blurred with stinging tears that she couldn't blink away. A drop fell, one after the other, landing in a soft, small puddle just between her outstretched hands, her composure slipping, cracking, just like that. Her breathing was labored, hard, unable to do it, this -

_“Breathe.”_

The will to keep fighting pushed her on as her hands met the railing of the next raised step, memories of faces longing in her heart and making her lips quiver with a shaky breath. A weak leg unsteadily bent, her trembling boot pressing flat against the tiled floor, before she forced herself to stand. Her body threatened to give out at any moment, a feeling unknown to her weighing her down. Hands balled into fists as she stumbled forward, determined. 

Muted gunshots echoed behind her body, whirring past her head in a numbing trail before landing with loud, sharp thuds against the steps around her; One body dropped right after the other, voices flickering just beyond her hearing and following her in a haunting rhythm as she made it up the final, angled step that glowed in an endless pattern. The lights moved faster, faster, near-frantic. Icy eyes widened –

_Him._

“You,” the venom in her voice made her blood boil. Nostrils flared as her hand shot out without even a second thought, twisting in the mangled fabric of his back; It sharply curled, the roughest, most choked gasp escaping him as she yanked him down, ripping him out from his wired, electrical coffin. Wires screeched and flickered, his tunic ripping from the abrupt disconnection and a loud scream making her ears ring when his body hit the ground.

“You!”

“So, you’re still alive.” The curt, disgusting, near-taunting undertone of his ever-so-slightly tired voice made her want to itch it away, out of sight, out of mind. Slithery eyes took in her shoddy appearance, blood staining in vivid streaks across scratched, umber cheeks and the bags under her eyes deep. Full lips pressed together before a hand wiped away the blood caked there. “Intriguing.”

“Kylie –“ Janelle’s voice broke in half, tears overwhelming her vision. Wide green eyes met tired blue ones and she almost lost her already crumbled composure, voice trembling and jaw tensing as she bit back a loud, gasped sob. “Oh, my God, you're okay –“

“I tire of these games,” he interrupted her, slowly, slightly shaking his head; Words came out through clenched teeth, exhaustion pulling as crackles of electricity tickled down his body. It jolted his skin with each waved touch, goosebumps following the wake of its cascading lines over his scaled skin. “I will _transcend_ what you _pretend_ to be -”

“You – You’re outta time.” Kylie coughed, wiping away the slightest tickle of a trickle of blood just under her nose. “With every step that you’ve made, I took fifteen." Nails dug into the lapels of his collar, yanking his face mere inches to her. Spit splattered with each heaved word, anger giving way until it pulled so heavily at her words. "While _you_ spent _your_ time babbling about Meridian this, Meridian that, my _family_ , that _you_ tried to make _me_ kill, outdid everything you’ve tried to do.”

“It's - It's simple, really.” A spark of purple erupted around her, the familiar sting of biotics flaring to life. Her brain screamed at her to stop, to quit, to let it be; She fervently shook her head, determination setting her features as her lips pressed together. A glowing hand fell from his tunic in favor of reaching out to grasp his bumpy, scaled face, her grip making his eyes roll back. “Dipshit.”

“ _You_ learn by accident,” his eyes narrowed before they squeezed shut. A trembling hand roughly grasped her wrist, squeezing and squeezing, to no avail. Desperation slowly itched its way into his voice, endless. “I am the genetic inheritor of a thousand species and I _deserve_ this. I refuse to show any more mercy. I -”

“This is for those that _you’ve_ killed.” Lightning cracked once, twice, before it took over - A brilliant light-show flickered to life, his screams drowning out all else as a burst of electricity ran from her arm and down into his head; The blood-curdling noises leaving him made her skin crawl, icy eyes hyper-focused as she watched his face contort in pure agony. “For the faces of people looking for their family, only to realize that _you’ve_ taken them.”

“This is for the angara; For each and every one of them that you’ve killed.” With each thud of her biotic-laced hand, blood spurt, splattered; It covered her fist, drenching her forearm with each sickening crack. Her voice cracked with effort, mean, trembling, giving way to bundled up emotions that she's bottled up for months. “That you’ve _terrorized_ for _years_ , for _decades_  on end, making them suffer endlessly only to further your fucking _bloodlust_ of a cause!”

“This, is for Raeka. This, is for Drack’s scouts,” tears blurred her vision, the furious beat of her heart drowning out her senses and making her feel nothing, everything, too much with each punch against his face. Tears broke her voice. “This, is for every fucking person that you’ve _chased_ and _hunted_ down, for all of the families that _you’ve_ ruined, separated, broken apart. This is for all of the people, all of my _friends_ and _family_ , that I’ve lost to your fucking _insanity_!”

The thought of holding Jaal’s gun against her head made her break, a sob escaping her as the worry in his eyes flashed through her mind; The heartbreak in them haunted her, settling a startling tremor rushing through her like a wave. The thought of looking at Drack, her own father, in the eyes, with her own gun aimed at him, ruined her, another punch, another punch, too much.

The mere idea of her nails digging into her twin brother’s face ripped her apart; Shoulders tensed, hiking up at a final, sickening crack, before she fell apart and her body curled forward. Bloodied hands covered her face, smearing blood not of her own against umber skin as she cried and cried, too much, too much, too much –

Familiar arms wrapped around her body, pulling her back, away, shielding her from _this_. Desperation tightened them, an uncontrollable heave in her chest overwhelming her as the desire to cling to them, to squeeze them until she couldn’t breathe anymore, flooded her tired brain. She's so tired,  _so_ fucking tired -

“Baby girl,” the voice was so soft, so gentle, so soothing, despite its own trembling. It's her mother - Janelle. Her mother. Oh, my God. A hand trailed a ginger pattern up her back, footsteps flooding through her muted hearing as it continued in a gentle murmur. “It’s okay, my love. It’s okay. Breathe – It’s all over now. He's dead and he'll _never_ hurt you, ever again.”  

More arms fell over her, tightening, tightening, until all that she could feel was _them_ and only _them_.

Her family.

Bloodshot eyes cracked open to find his corpse beneath her; A mangled, bloody mess stood where his face should’ve been, ruined beyond all repair. Beady eyes stared up at her from the ripped, bloodied, and contorted skin that screamed at her like a ghost, glossed-over and lifeless, haunting her. Her heart painfully squeezed, a sob breaking her.

A familiar hand, wide and warm, gently grasped under her jaw. It tilted her head up, away from the disgusting corpse, to meet lovely, galaxy-like eyes that warmed her from the inside out. Her lips trembled, a tear escaping and rolling down her umber cheek as she quickly blinked away the sting in her eyes.

His smile comforted her. “We did it.”

“W-We did it,” her broken voice mimicked his, a giddy chuckle cracking her words. Disbelief. Pure, unbidden, disbelief. A smile curled the corners of her full lips, her hand quickly wiping away the blood stained around her mouth as she unsteadily stood with a shaky breath. Arms wrapped around her small waist and pulled her against him in a crushing hug, her face burying itself into the warm, bright blue fabric of his rofjinn.

“We did it.”

The familiar hum of bioelectricity sparked across her body, her throat feeling full in the best way - Her feet were suddenly lifted from the ground, a near-squeal escaping her. Icy blue eyes widened as her grip tightened around his head, only for his happy, flittering laughter to echo through the chasm, warm and lovely in a way that didn't belong in the place they were in. He spun her in the softest circle, more joining in on the avid chuckles when he brought her back down and into a deep, loving kiss.

“It’s finally over, huh?” Drack couldn’t wipe the big, happy grin off of his face. A soft blip in his comms gave way to reveal a familiar, blue face flickering in through the deep, orange aura, her features lighting up at the mere sight of him, alive and well. Their crew gathered around her on the bridge, a soft silence hanging in the air as they waited for something, anything, breaths bated. “We did it, bluebutt.”

 _“Thank the Goddess.”_ Their voices overlapped, sheer relief mixing through. Cheering spurted to life through the static, the two pilots bursting into impromptu dance just behind her, as the news spread across their wide-length channels.  _"It's almost hard to believe, you know? All this time spent dogging all of his moves, planning attack after attack... It's finally paid off, hasn't it?"_

Reyes shrugged, an effortless grin curling the corners of his lips as he holstered his gun and his hand met the krogan's shoulder. “Maybe not over in the sense that we _want_ it to be, but as far as for the Archon? He’s _definitely_ dead. I do believe that Kylie completely pulverized him into a pulp, yes?”

“I wanted to make sure that he was dead!” Kylie called out, fervently wiping at her eyes as Jaal steadied her. "Can you blame me after all that we just went through? I've had enough of his face for, literally, at least sixteen lifetimes."

“Hey," Reyes rolled his eyes, arms folding over his chest as he approached the two. He reached out, giving her shoulder the softest punch that earned a pout from her. "No complaints over here. You just killed the biggest, baddest guy of the century - Pretty sure you'll be regarded as a hero from now, hermana. ”

Jaal's deep chuckle rumbled against the side of her body, catching her off guard. His hand trailed down the messed-up ridges of her twin braids, his electricity numbing her in a way that she's wanted to feel since the very moment that they had stepped foot into the place. "She's always been regarded as a hero, Reyes. Well, perhaps only in my case, I suppose."

"Aww, you -"

A loud, unexpected squeal broke through their words, eyes snapping over to catch the sight of her brother suddenly thrown into the air. The cloud-like puff of coiled, brunette hair popped out from under him, arms wrapping around his waist to pull his body against Liam’s while his feet dangled in the air. “I can’t believe we fuckin’ did it!”

“Dude?!" James' voice nearly cracked, hands desperately grabbing his forearms. "I can’t believe you just threw me into the air like a baby!”

The strangest feeling weighed her stomach down, hands meeting the center as she watched the two men burst into absolute, pure laughter, the kind that felt too gentle, too lovely, for the world. Her brows slowly furrowed, lips slightly parting as she tried to put a finger on what she was feeling, something -

 _"Kylie, Meridian is now online."_ His familiar voice, monotonous and comforting in its own, strange way, made her relax, the feeling disappearing from her mind. Wide eyes watched as the lights flickered on beneath their feet, rushing through the shadowed chasm that lit it up like Christmas back on earth. Bright colors washed over them, flooding their vision and reflecting in a brilliant pattern over the dark-hued water all around them.

Her gaze trailed from the technology-laced walls that hummed with a vibrancy to her crew, her family, following the line from one body to the other that made her heart squeeze in her chest. It was nearly tangible, the feeling shared among them as a realization rushed over their bodies, excited voices overlapping when they flooded through their comms in a rush that made her dizzy.

Hands intertwined as they made their descent back to the surface, Janelle leaning on Alec for support as Kylie grasped onto Jaal and her brother, a smile hanging among them that nobody could seem to wipe off of their faces. The air felt lighter, easier, happier as they went through one gravity well then the other, the lights of Meridian itself shining through the open vault doors weighing her heart down.

The moment they walked through those immense, towering doors, everything fell into place. 

"Thank the Goddess you're all right," Lexi rushed up to them, her eyes wide as she gently cradled Kylie's jaw. Faintly hazel eyes searched the scratches over her face, wiping away a few smudges of blood before the worry pulling on her features melted into pure joy. She pulled her into a tight hug, nails digging into the metal of her armor. "Don't you  _ever_ pull a stunt like that  _ever_ again."

"Okay, Mom." A giddy laugh escaped Kylie, a near-sheepish look flickering in her eyes as she glanced back at her actual mother. Janelle smiled, eyes crinkling in the cutest way as their doctor rushed over to see her. The familiar feeling of a hand meeting her lower back made her turn before she was engulfed in strong arms, pulling her up to his height as his cackling laughter flooded through the air. "Dad!"

Drack snorted. "Listen, I don't get to hug your cute ass enough, ru'shan. Let a man live, okay? It isn't every day that a strong-ass krogan and his strong-ass ru'shan, his fuckin' daughter, go and crush a fucking giant-ass alien-weirdo that, literally, was just about ready to take over the world and turn it into a weird-ass mutating machine."

"You have, for real, the best descriptions for everything." She grinned, arms wrapping around his head. He pulled back ever-so-slightly, their gazes meeting in a way that weighed on all four of his hearts. The look on her face made him melt, her words coming out soft, gentle, only for him to hear. "I love you."

"God, I know." A shaky breath left him as he pulled her back into a crushing hug. "Fuck, I love you too, ru'shan."

As he pulled away from her, that same feeling squeezed her stomach, tense, hard, stronger than before. Kylie swallowed thickly, turning to look up at the never-ending horizon that seemed to wrap over itself in a beautiful pattern in an attempt to distract herself while excitement mixed with literal cries of joy all around her. It almost felt... Perfect, pieces finally falling into place, if she wanted to reach that far. A moment fell over her, the strangest feeling making her heart swell -

A hand gently met hers, fingers intertwining, and broke her from her thoughts. She glanced over, catching the sight of her favorite angara beside her, the sweetest look flickering across his bright features, and it hit her.

It finally, truly clicked in her - Hope.  _This_ is what hope feels like.  _This_ is what peace feels like.

That's not something she's used to.

Another rough, painful pulse made her gasp, startling her. Hands fell to meet her stomach, eyes slowly narrowing. It felt different, something that she's never had happen before. Familiar, in a sense, but not. Thick brows sharply furrowed, staring down at her feet. What is this? No - A hand came to rest over hers, gentle, soft. She quickly looked up at him before he could speak, icy eyes widening when their gazes met. Her breath hitched as her heart skipped a beat.

"Jaal," a shaky breath left her. "I think the twins are coming."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has, honestly, been one hell of a wild ride in combination with being one hell of a journey. Starting out, this series was supposed to just be a ton of drabbles mixed together, but it ended up becoming… This. My writing has improved so vastly throughout this series; It’s melted itself into my heart and the thought that this is, literally, the final chapter, the _last_ chapter, actually has me tearing up. I cried quite a bit writing this entire chapter. I'm so grateful for all of you, really.
> 
> I just wanted to say that I’m so completely and utterly honored that all of you went on this journey with me, with her, and that you all loved Kylie as much as I do. I'm so amazed that you’ve joined me in watching her grow and develop into the strong, amazing character that she is now and I just want to say: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can’t wait to see where Kylie’s future takes her. I love all of you so, so much. ♥
> 
> Keep an eye out for the upcoming sequel that expands more on her life and the Mass Effect universe through my eyes, both focusing on the domestic bliss (yes, that includes Kylie and Jaal's kids, not to mention Liam and James') and regarding the political tension rising on the Nexus with Alec back in her life; 
> 
> astra inclinant, sed non obligant.
> 
> _the stars incline us, but they do not bind us._


End file.
